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The United States and Israel have strongly criticized French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement to recognize a Palestinian state. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington “strongly rejects” Macron’s plan, describing it as a move that “only fuels Hamas propaganda and sets back efforts to establish peace in the Middle East.”
According to a report by Al Jazeera on Friday, July 25, Rubio took to the social media platform X on Thursday night to criticize Macron’s decision as “reckless.” He argued that the move undermines peace efforts in the region.
In a post on X, Macron affirmed France’s commitment to “just and lasting peace in the Middle East,” announcing that France would formally recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September.
Currently, at least 142 of the 193 UN member states have either recognized a Palestinian state or plan to do so. However, major Western powers such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany have refused to follow suit. Meanwhile, European Union members Norway, Ireland, and Spain indicated in May that they have begun the process of recognizing a Palestinian state.
Macron’s decision positions France, a key ally of Israel and a G7 member, as the largest and potentially most influential European nation to take this step. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the decision on X, stating, “Such actions reward terrorism and risk creating another Iranian proxy. A Palestinian state in this context would serve as a launchpad to destroy Israel, not to coexist peacefully.”
US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott confirmed on Thursday that the US would abstain from the conference, signaling its opposition to the current diplomatic efforts.
In a related development, the US administration under President Donald Trump announced it would not participate in an upcoming UN conference focused on a two-state solution.
The conference, co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia from July 28 to 30, aims to outline a framework for recognizing a Palestinian state and resolving the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
