Washington / Jerusalem /Paris, July 26: The United States and Israel on Thursday sharply criticised French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in September, warning it could embolden militant groups and undermine efforts for peace.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington “strongly rejects” Macron’s move, describing it as a “reckless decision” that “only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace.”
France would become the first G7 nation and one of Israel’s closest allies to extend formal recognition to a Palestinian state. In a post on X, Macron said, “In keeping with its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognise the State of Palestine.”
At least 142 of the 193 UN member states currently recognise or have announced plans to recognise Palestinian statehood. In May, fellow European Union countries Norway, Ireland and Spain began the process to formalise recognition.
Israel denounced France’s move. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it “a reward for terror” and warned it would create “another Iranian proxy” that could threaten Israeli security.
“A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel – not to live in peace beside it,” Netanyahu said. “Let’s be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel.”
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described France’s decision as “a disgrace and a surrender to terrorism,” adding that Israel would not permit the establishment of a Palestinian entity that endangers its existence.
The United States also said it would not attend a UN conference on the two-state solution co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia and scheduled to take place July 28–30. “There is nothing further to say other than that Washington will not be in attendance,” State Department Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott told reporters.
Although the official U.S. policy still supports a two-state solution, President Donald Trump has questioned its viability since returning to office in January. Trump has proposed turning Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East” by removing the territory’s 2 million residents — a plan rights groups and the UN have condemned as tantamount to ethnic cleansing.
In June, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said an independent Palestinian state is no longer a goal of U.S. foreign policy. The White House later distanced itself, with a spokesperson noting Huckabee “speaks for himself.”
The tensions come as Israel’s military campaign in Gaza enters its 22nd month. The offensive began after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel that killed 1,139 people and resulted in over 200 hostages being taken into Gaza.
Since then, nearly 60,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 144,000 wounded, according to Gaza health officials. Months of ceasefire negotiations brokered by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar have so far failed to produce an agreement.
On Monday, 28 countries including the United Kingdom, Japan and several European states issued a joint statement demanding an immediate end to the war and condemning the “inhumane killing of civilians, including children,” and the “drip feeding” of humanitarian aid.
