Harun Nasrullah
French President, Emmanuel Macron, has announced that France intends to officially recognise Palestine as a state in June 2025, marking a significant potential shift in the country’s foreign policy.
Macron made the remarks during an interview with a French television station while on a two-day visit to Egypt. He said the recognition would be part of a broader diplomatic effort aimed at reviving the peace process and supporting a two-state solution.
“Our goal is, sometime in June, to chair this conference with Saudi Arabia where we could finalise the movement of reciprocal recognition by several [countries],” Macron said. “I will do it… because I think that at some point it will be fair.
I also want to participate in a collective dynamic, which must allow all those who defend Palestine to recognise Israel in turn — which many of them do not.”
He added that this initiative would position France clearly in the fight against those who deny Israel’s right to exist, singling out Iran. Macron also reaffirmed France’s commitment to collective security in the region.
France is expected to co-host a two-day UN conference with Saudi Arabia in New York this June.
The summit will focus on promoting a two-state solution, following 18 months of war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. If France proceeds with formal recognition, it would be a major policy shift.
Although nearly 150 countries have recognised Palestine as a sovereign state, most major Western powers — including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Japan — have yet to do so. In contrast, countries such as Ireland, Norway, and Spain formally extended recognition in May 2024. Meanwhile, several states in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, do not recognise Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the two-state solution, insisting that granting Palestinian statehood would be a “huge reward” following the October 7 Hamas-led attacks on Israel.
Photo: French President Emmanuel Macron, seen here meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on October 24, 2023, has announced that France will officially recognise the State of Palestine in June 2025. (Credit: Palestinian Presidency/AA)
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