On Thursday, Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, condemned France’s decision, led by President Emmanuel Macron, to recognize the State of Palestine as a “historic commitment” to peace in the region.
The decision of the French government had been warned several weeks ago, but it is politically very powerful since most Western powers, such as the United States, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy, do not recognize Palestine.
With this decision, the French authorities follow in the footsteps of Spain, Ireland, and Norway, which on May 28, 2024, recognized Palestine in a simultaneous initiative that was criticized by Israel. Currently, more than 140 countries around the world recognize the State of Palestine.
What was Netanyahu’s response to France’s decision?
“We strongly condemn Macron’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state alongside Tel Aviv after the massacre on October 7th (2023). This measure rewards terrorism and runs the risk of creating another state allied with Iran, as happened with Gaza,” Netanyahu’s office stated in a statement posted on their X social media profile.
The Israeli Prime Minister stated that “a Palestinian State under these conditions would be a launching pad to annihilate Israel, not to live in peace alongside it...the Palestinians are not seeking a State alongside Israel, they are seeking a State in place of Israel,” Netanyahu concluded.
On the other hand, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar described Macron’s decision as “ridiculous and lacking seriousness” and stated that “a Palestinian state will be a Hamas state.”
Saar later said that “Israel’s attempt to base its security on Palestinian promises to combat terrorism failed miserably in the Oslo process. Israel will no longer risk its security or its future.”
Even harsher was the Deputy Prime Minister, Yariv Levin, who, while condemning the French president’s announcement, stated that Israel’s response should be the annexation of the Palestinian territory of the West Bank: “It is time to apply Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley. This is the response to the historical justice to the shameful decision of the French president.”
Levin went on to say that “Macron’s decision to recognize the fictitious Palestinian state is a black mark on French history and a direct aid to terrorism,” according to statements collected by the newspaper The Times of Israel.
Palestine thanked Macron and France
The Vice President of the Palestinian Authority, Husein al Sheij, thanked the French president for the announcement of the future recognition of the Palestinian state.
Al Seij reacted to the announcement through his profile on the social network X, where he stated that this decision “reflects France’s commitment to International Law and its support for the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state.”