Afrasianet - French President Emmanuel Macron surprised the international media by announcing his country's intention to recognize a Palestinian state in June.
Macron made a statement on French television on the plane, returning from his official visit to Egypt in April 2025.
What does France's recognition of a Palestinian state mean, why does it come at this time, and will it have an impact on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
To understand the French president's statement and his country's "new" position on the Palestinian issue, we must read Macron's words in full context. Besides majoring in finance and business, he is a man fond of language, literature and rhetoric. And the whole meaning is in the fine details.
Macron's interview with Channel Five TV stated:
"We have to move towards recognition, and we will do so in the coming months."
"I will do it, because I think at some point it will be a fair position. Because I also want to participate in a collective movement, it should lead all those who defend Palestine to recognize Israel, many of whom do not."
"This will also allow us to fight against those who reject Israel's existence, such as Iran, and to work collectively to ensure security in the region."
"Our date is June, when we will take over the presidency of the conference with Saudi Arabia, and there we can end the multilateral mutual recognition process."
The French president referred to June, when a conference he will chair with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will be held in New York. The conference aims to revive the "two-state solution", which has been "emptied of its content" since US President Donald Trump launched the deal of the century in his first term.
Did Macron's announcement change France's position on the Palestinian issue?
Those close to and supportive of the French president are not surprising in his talk of recognizing a Palestinian state. It has long been accepted in the French political class. President François Mitterand spoke about it in the Knesset in 1982.
In 2010, France removed Palestinian representation from the delegation to the Palestinian mission. The diplomat leading the Palestinian mission in France is referred to as ambassador. Paris supports the establishment of "a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders alongside Israel, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states."
In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Paris calls for "respect for international law, especially UN resolutions, and supports the two-state solution, as well as a just solution for refugees, an end to the Israeli occupation, and the preservation of the status of Jerusalem."
It considers the construction of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem to be an "illegal confiscation of land". Peace negotiations between the two sides "must be based on the 1967 lines." It asserts that the settlements are "contrary to international law."
French diplomacy is first keen to recall that Paris has "historical cultural and humanitarian relations" with Israel. France recognized the Israeli state in 1949. For 70 years, it has defended "Israel's right to exist, to live in security and to belong to the group of sovereign nations."
Macron had previously indicated in 2024 the possibility of recognizing the Palestinian state, but called at the time to "wait" and choose the "right time", when Ireland, Norway, Spain and Slovenia announced their recognition of the Palestinian state, at the height of the devastating war in Gaza.
The short and straightforward answer is: not necessarily. In his statement, the French president did not announce a decision taken by Paris, but rather its readiness to recognize the Palestinian state, according to conditions agreed upon by the participants in the New York conference, under the supervision of France and Saudi Arabia.
Macron explained that France's recognition of the Palestinian state is conditional on the recognition of Israel by other Arab countries, saying that he wants to participate in "a collective movement, which inevitably leads all those who defend Palestine to recognize Israel."
He did not hesitate to state that the aim of this "collective movement", which he wanted at the French-Saudi conference, is to "fight" Iran, as it "rejects the existence of Israel," as well as to work to ensure "security in the region."
There is no doubt that Saudi Arabia is at the top of the list of Arab countries, from which Paris expects to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. But it is also betting on Lebanon after the weakening of Hezbollah, and on Syria after the fall of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, Iran's historic ally.
The consultations must have included other countries as well, such as Algeria, Qatar, and Tunisia. All of these countries emphasize that the establishment of a Palestinian state, not its recognition, is a prerequisite for opening diplomatic relations with Israel. This position is also announced by Saudi Arabia.
However, the shape and borders of the Palestinian state have become somewhat ambiguous in recent statements, which use the phrase "accepted by the Palestinians" instead of the historical expression stipulated in the Arab Peace Initiative "in the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital," and Israel's withdrawal from "the Arab territories it occupies in the Golan and the Shebaa Farms."
Why at this time?
Although France has long supported the two-state solution and advocated respect for international law and UN resolutions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it has never been enthusiastic about recognizing a Palestinian state. It says it prefers "negotiations to unilateral recognition."
What has changed?
Internal and external political developments have prompted President Macron to change his "slow approach" in dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He announced a move he was warning about in 2025, saying in response to Ireland and Spain's recognition of Palestinian statehood: "We should not make a decision "driven by emotions."
Today, the French president faces a major challenge in parliament, which is divided between the far right and the far left. Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, the Palestinian issue has become the subject of constant controversy and intense conflict between the various parliamentary blocs, in a way that weakens the presidential bloc in the legislature.
Macron wants to "take the Palestinian cause" out of the French parliament and keep it away from the internal political debate, which is fraught with polarization and deep ideological divisions.
This division is evident in the reaction of various political currents to Macron's announcement. Left-wing parties welcomed the move, which is "long overdue" for them, while the far-right called it "premature" and warned, as Israel warned, that it would be seen as a "reward for terrorism."
The deputy head of the National Rally, Sebastian Chino, told LCE News: "Any 'premature' confession sends a signal that 'practice terrorism and we will recognize your rights.'"
The head of the parliamentary group of deputies of the proud France party, Mathilde Bano, wrote on her account on the X website: "Finally, almost two years after the genocide in Gaza, France intends to recognize the Palestinian state."
Former President Francois Hollande said Macron's announcement was part of "a path that allows countries that do not recognize Israel to recognize the Israeli state, and other countries that do not recognize Palestine or the Palestinian state to recognize it as well."
We understand from President Hollande's words that Paris expects the Arab States, which do not currently have relations with Israel, to recognize the Israeli State. He did not say whether Paris also expected Israel to recognize a Palestinian state.
Commenting on Macron's move, Hollande cautioned that Palestinian states, which France recognizes, if established, "should not be involved" by the Islamist resistance movement, Hamas.
President Trump's return to the White House poses another challenge to French policy in the Middle East. The new U.S. administration seems to be in perfect harmony with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It may not stand in his way if he carries out some of his plans, such as annexing parts of the West Bank.
This contradicts France's historical position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Through his conditional declaration, Macron wants to set limits to what his country can accept in the Middle East, in order to preserve its interests and prestige in the region.
Why is France's recognition of a Palestinian state important?
France's recognition of the Palestinian state would undoubtedly be an important political support for the Palestinians' demands for "the establishment of an independent state on their own land." It is an economic and military superpower and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
But former French President Francois Hollande argues that recognition of a Palestinian state is a "mere declaration" that has no legal value. France's recognition does not establish for the Palestinians the state they demand.
In April 2024, the United States vetoed an Algerian Security Council resolution recommending that the General Assembly admit Palestine to membership in the United Nations. The resolution was approved by 12 of the 15 members, including France.
But the United States alone blocked, by the right of veto, the formal UN recognition of a Palestinian state. Britain and Switzerland abstained.
Does French recognition of Palestinian statehood have legal value?
Article III of the 1933 Montevideo Convention states that "the political existence of a State is not subject to recognition by other States." A State does not need to be recognized by other States to exist. Recognition of a Palestinian state by France or other countries is legally worthless.
The International Convention, which entered into force in 1934 and was signed by the United States, defines a State as an entity composed of a permanent population, a designated territory and a government, and has the ability to establish relations with other States.
Possible recognition of the state of Palestine.. Macron denounces "false information"
President Emmanuel Macron later denounced "false information" about a possible French recognition of a Palestinian state, calling for "no efforts to be spared" to bring peace to the region.
Macron regretted that some of the X-platform posts "about our intentions regarding Gaza" lacked accuracy, calling for no "abbreviation or provocation" to be taken for granted, and "not to contribute to the dissemination of 'misinformation and manipulation'.
His stance on a returnee from Egypt has sparked protests among the right and far-right in France.
The head of the Les Républicains parliamentary bloc, Laurent Fouquier, a potential candidate for the French presidency, said, "When France receives congratulations from Hamas... I'm ashamed."
Hamas leader Mahmoud Mardawi told AFP that Macron's announcement of a plan to recognize a Palestinian state by June was an "important step" that would bring about a "positive change in the international position" regarding the rights of the Palestinian people.
Jordan Bardella, head of the far-right National Rally party, said recognition of a Palestinian state in June "would be tantamount to giving Hamas, the Islamic and terrorist movement, the status of a legitimate interlocutor."
Dozens of countries recognized the Palestinian state declared by the Palestinian National Council in Algeria (1988). Later, influential countries insisted that recognition should culminate in the end of peace negotiations with Israel, leaving the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people subject to the occupation that has long repudiated the peace entitlements, before officially announcing in July 2024, through a majority decision in the Knesset, its rejection of the establishment of a Palestinian state that has obstructed its foundations for years. Israel's blowing up of the goal of the peace process and its insistence on continuing the crimes of ethnic cleansing and the genocide in Gaza, countries to declare their recognition of the Palestinian state. Finally, French President Emmanuel Macrone announced on Wednesday that his country was in the process of recognizing a "Palestinian state" within months, which would mean, if it happens, France would become the twelfth European member to officially recognize a Palestinian state. The recognition of France, a prominent European country with a permanent member of the Security Council and one of Israel's most important trading partners and even credited with arming Israel with nuclear weapons, could push other European countries to a similar step, notably the United Kingdom, whose government is facing increasing pressure from British Labour MPs to join France and recognize the state of Palestine.
Macron preempted Israel's expected reactions, placing the planned recognition in the context of a "collective dynamic" that would allow other countries to recognize Israel, asserting that the recognition would allow France to be clear in the "battle" against "those who deny Israel's right to exist." However, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar responded swiftly, writing in X that "unilateral recognition of a fictional Palestinian state... Strengthening Hamas," prompting Macron to clarify on his page on the same platform, saying: "Yes to peace, yes to the security of Israel, yes to a Palestinian state without Hamas." This clarification did not seem convincing to Benjamin Netanyahu, who attacked Macron last Sunday, asserting his refusal to endanger Israel's security for the sake of "illusions detached from reality" (a Palestinian state). Macron may use his strong relationship with Kiir Starmer to push Britain to a similar position to be announced at an international conference for the two-state solution in New York (next June), chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, which Macron sees as an occasion to announce a "collective" recognition of the Palestinian state, holed up behind what appears to be a European-Gulf peace initiative, in the face of Washington and Tel Aviv.France's
(and others') recognition of Palestine as a state (especially without specifying its nature and borders) is not a sufficient step, as out of 193 member states of the United Nations, Palestine is recognized as a sovereign state by 148 states, but this did not lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state, but the presence of the Palestinian in his land became threatened after successive calamities, with the continuation of ethnic cleansing and the continuous annexation of lands, in light of the failure of the international community to rein in Israel and hold it accountable, and there are even those who provide it with continuous support. Let us remember that France failed in the past announced that Spain, Ireland and Norway joined to recognize the state of Palestine, and Spain and Ireland to review the EU-Israel Association Agreement, and that it violated the Rome Statute on which the International Criminal Court was founded, granting Netanyahu immunity from his arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, and continuing to sell weapons to Israel.
Recognition should not remain a symbolic step without a political path that draws the Palestinian state in accordance with international legitimacy, and without implementation mechanisms that bind Israel, as symbols are important only when they are the only ones at hand, and recognition of the Palestinian state should not be an opportunity for the international community to evade its moral and legal responsibilities towards the ongoing killing of Palestinians, if it wants to make a difference in the face of the Trump administration's unlimited support for Netanyahu.
A few days ago, Emily Thornberry, chair of the British parliament's foreign affairs committee, urged the West to move quickly to recognize a Palestinian state, otherwise Palestine would not "remain to be recognized." We add, if the Palestinian right to life is not recognized by stopping the war of extermination, the Palestinian will have no opportunities to enjoy his right to self-determination in a recognized Palestinian State.