April 09, 2025
Macron Signals France Will Recognize Palestine as a State by June
French President Emmanuel Macron has stated that France intends to officially recognize Palestine as a state by June 2025. Speaking in an interview with French media during a two-day visit to Egypt, Macron said, “We must move toward recognition, and so, in the coming months, we will move towards that.”
He added that France is aiming to co-host a diplomatic conference with Saudi Arabia in June, where mutual recognition between multiple parties could be finalized.
“I will do it because I believe it’s the right time, and I also want to contribute to a broader movement—one that encourages all those who support Palestine to also recognize Israel, which many currently do not,” Macron explained.
Macron emphasized that France’s recognition of Palestine would also strengthen its stance against those who reject Israel’s right to exist, explicitly referencing Iran. He reaffirmed France’s commitment to ensuring collective security in the region.
France is scheduled to co-chair a two-day United Nations conference with Saudi Arabia in New York this June. The event aims to promote a two-state solution in the wake of the 18-month conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Formal recognition of a Palestinian state by France would mark a major policy shift and could potentially strain its diplomatic ties with Israel.
As of now, nearly 150 countries have recognized Palestine as a state, with Ireland, Norway, and Spain making their declarations in May 2024.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains firmly opposed to a two-state solution, stating that granting Palestinian statehood would amount to a “huge reward” in the aftermath of the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7.
(Source)