French President Emmanuel Macron has announced plans to officially recognize Palestine as an independent state, with a potential declaration coming as early as June during a UN peace summit.
In a televised interview with France 5 on April 9, President Emmanuel Macron revealed that France is preparing to recognize Palestine as a sovereign state within the next few months. This historic move could be formally announced during a United Nations conference scheduled for June in New York, aimed at resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict.
“We must move toward recognizing the State of Palestine,” Macron said. “That is what we will do in the coming months.”
Macron made the remarks upon returning from a diplomatic visit to Egypt, where he also inspected the Gaza border amid ongoing humanitarian and political tensions.
The upcoming UN summit in June will be co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, focusing on advancing efforts to establish a Palestinian state. Macron indicated that, in parallel with recognizing Palestine, France will encourage other participating nations to formally recognize the State of Israel, signaling a potential dual-recognition strategy aimed at fostering broader peace in the region.
However, the French plan has sparked outrage from Israel. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar denounced the proposed recognition, calling it “a reward for terrorism” and a move that would only strengthen Hamas.
“A unilateral recognition of a fictional Palestinian state by any country is nothing but a prize for terrorism,” Sa’ar stated. “Such actions will not bring peace, security, or stability to the region, rather, they will worsen the situation.”
Liberty News’ international correspondent states that as diplomatic tensions rise, global attention now turns to the June summit, which may mark a significant shift in the international community’s stance on Palestinian statehood.
LND/BG
