French President Emmanuel Macron stated that recognizing a Palestinian state is no longer a taboo for France, indicating that Paris might make this decision if efforts toward a two-state solution falter due to Israeli opposition. However, unilateral French recognition would not significantly change the situation on the ground without genuine negotiations, but it would have symbolic and diplomatic impacts. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his opposition to Palestinian sovereignty, stating that he would not relinquish full Israeli security control over the West Bank, which contradicts the establishment of a Palestinian state.
In 2014, French lawmakers voted in favor of urging their government to recognize Palestine, a symbolic move that had minimal effect on France's diplomatic stance. Macron's remarks mark the first time a French leader has made such a suggestion, highlighting growing impatience among Western leaders amid rising casualties in Gaza due to the Israeli attack in response to an assault by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on October 7, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and 253 hostages, according to Israeli statistics.
Macron, standing alongside Jordan's King Abdullah II in Paris, stated, "Our partners in the region, especially Jordan, are working on this, and we are working with them. We are ready to contribute to it, in Europe and in the Security Council. Recognizing the Palestinian state is not a taboo for us." His comments likely aim to increase pressure on Israel.
The massive Israeli air and ground assault on the densely populated Gaza Strip has resulted in over 28,000 Palestinian deaths, the flattening of built-up areas, and leaving most of the territory's 2.3 million residents homeless. While most developing countries recognize Palestine as a state, most Western European nations do not, arguing that an independent Palestinian state must emerge from negotiations with Israel. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron stated this month that part of British policy is to assert that there will come a time when Britain looks forward to recognizing a Palestinian state, including at the United Nations. Macron noted that the Israeli attack on Rafah would only lead to an unprecedented humanitarian disaster and could be a turning point in the conflict.
