France Recognizes Palestinian Statehood

The French president said that France will recognize the State of Palestine. It will be formalized at the next UN assembly. He framed this as a diplomatic step toward a two-state solution. He also reminded his support for the recognition of Israel and the end of Hamas.

France always sought for a two-state solution. But for months French diplomacy stated that conditions were not met yet. The statement was finally made by Macron. It led to various reactions.

Let’s look at the other countries’ reaction and if it can really make a difference.

Vivid reactions to President Macron’s statement.

The statement was condemned by Israel and the United States.

Israel’s PM said Macron was rewarding terror. He stated that it will only encourage Palestinians to seek a state instead of Israel not alongside.

President Trump said it will not influence the situation and that Macron’s statement doesn’t carry any weight.  The US Secretary of State qualified it as a reckless decision only serving Hamas propaganda. He also stated this move was disrespectful to the victims of the October 7^th massacre.

The countries recognizing the State of Palestine welcomed the French decision. The Palestinian Authority and Hamas praised it. Hamas called it a positive step toward justice. The group also sees it as a mean political pressure on Israel.

France reminded that it still stands against Hamas. Indeed, Macron has been accused of legitimizing Hamas. But he never recognized Hamas as any kind of legitimate entity. For France, Hamas still must be stopped, and a two-state solution reached.

Which countries already recognizes Palestinian statehood?

As of March, 147 of the 193 UN member states recognized Palestinian statehood. France will be the 148^th member. It is the first major Western country to do that. Indeed, France is a member of G7 and a permanent member of the UN Security Council. The country has a veto power like Russia and China. They both already recognize the State of Palestine.

In the EU, only 11 member states did so. But France’s decision could influence its European counterparts. 

These states seek a political exit to the conflict. They hope their recognition will bring a two-state solution and end the war that rages.

Major countries still refuse to recognize Palestine. They demand a negotiated peace with Israel and an end to Hamas. They also require that they both recognize each other. These include:

• United States,

• Canada,

• Australia,

• United Kingdom,

• Japan,

• South Korea.

Can this recognition really make a difference?

This declaration will most likely not bring any major change to the conflict. It will probably not lead to a wave of recognitions from other countries. Plus, it is hard to imagine Israel changing its approach with only such symbolic actions. There already are recognitions from great powers. There also are firm condemnations of Israel’s acts in Gaza. But these have no impact on PM Netanyahu’s politics. Without more coercive measures, he will pursue his goals. These measures could include sanctions and embargos.  

Plus, as long as Israel has unconditional support from the U.S., things will not change.

Israel doesn’t seem to be seeking for a two-state solution anymore. It seems to be trying to depopulate the territory. Along with the death of tens of thousands of locals, Israel made most of the territory unlivable. Plus, PM Netanyahu pushes locals to flee abroad. He also pushes other countries to accept them. One of Israel’s ministers even stated that they will occupy Gaza and make it part of Israel’s state. It is hard to see how such a hardline could be influenced by a symbolic statement.

Even if it becomes a state, there is still a long way to go before Palestine becomes a viable one. This adds to the symbolic value of these statements. Without real support to attain the requirements of a sovereign country, they have little impact. For now, the Palestine statehood consists of:

• Fragments of territory, 

• War-torn cities,

• Lack of political, economic, military structures,

• Dependence on foreign aid (food, health, energy),

• Security issues (war with Israel, Hamas).

Unless these issues are addressed, the situation will not evolve. Palestine needs support to tackle them to become a viable state. Recognitions are first steps, but they are not enough to make a real difference.

Decoding geopolitics isn’t a job. It’s survival.

Joy