TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - France has taken a major diplomatic step by announcing its plan to formally recognize Palestine as a state in September.
Al Jazeera reported that this decision puts France in a potentially confrontational position with its main allies, the United States and Israel, who consistently oppose unilateral recognition of Palestine.
The announcement was made directly by President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, July 24, 2025. He affirmed that the recognition ceremony will take place on the world stage, at the United Nations General Assembly.
“In keeping with its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine," Macron wrote on his personal account, @EmmanuelMacron.
This step makes France one of the most influential countries in the European Union moving towards recognizing Palestine. This decision follows similar steps that have been previously announced by other European countries such as Norway, Ireland, and Spain, indicating a shift in stance across the continent.
Although more than 142 of the 193 UN member countries have recognized or plan to recognize Palestine, influential Western countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany continue to refuse to take a similar stance.
France's decision comes amid growing criticism in Europe of the war launched by Israel in Gaza. The conflict has not only resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians but also prompted a crisis of starvation due to strict restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Previously, France even joined the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and 21 other allied countries of Israel in a joint statement condemning the restrictions on aid to Gaza and the loss of life among Palestinian aid seekers. The statement strongly called for the war to end immediately.
It didn't take long for France's decision to be harshly criticized by Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyah warned that the unilateral move will "rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy."
According to him, recognition of a Palestinian state under current conditions would actually endanger Israel's existence. "A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launchpad to annihilate Israel," Netanyahu said in a post.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz referred to the move as "a disgrace and a surrender to terrorism." He affirmed that Israel will never allow the establishment of a Palestinian entity that would jeopardize its security and threaten its existence.
Meanwhile, the United States' stance appears more complex, but ultimately shows rejection. Although the two-state solution has historically been Washington's official policy, President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his doubts.
Since taking office, Trump has even suggested that the U.S. could "take over" Gaza, relocate over two million of its inhabitants, and turn the area into the Middle East Riviera. The plan received widespread condemnation from human rights groups, Arab countries, Palestine, and the UN, who deemed it equivalent to ethnic cleansing.
Washington's stance was shown by its decision not to attend the two-state solution conference to be held at the UN. The conference, led by France and Saudi Arabia, aims to design a roadmap to end the conflict and recognize the Palestinian state. When asked by reporters, the Deputy Spokesperson of the State Department, Tommy Pigott, simply stated that Washington will not attend.
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