It's Official: France to Recognize Palestinian State

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “strongly” condemned Macron’s decision “to recognize a Palestinian state next to Tel Aviv in the wake of the October 7 massacre.”

“Such a move rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became,” Netanyahu stated. “A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel—not to live in peace beside it. Let’s be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel. They seek a state instead of Israel.”

Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, stated that “neither international conferences disconnected from reality nor unilateral statements at the United Nations will lead to peace.”

“Macron’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state after the massacre of October 7 and precisely at a time when Hamas is still holding hostages is a disgraceful reward for terrorism,” Danon said. “Anyone who ignores the reality on the ground—that Israel has no partner for peace—harms not only Israel but the stability of the entire region.”

Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, said that Washington “strongly rejects” Macron’s plan.

“This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace,” Rubio stated. “It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7.”

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) stated that Macron’s decision is “a shameful endorsement of terrorists” and that “the best way for this conflict to end is to back Israel in its righteous mission of rescuing the hostages and defeating Hamas.”

AIPAC [American Israel Public Affairs Committee] stated that Macron “is acting as Hamas’s handmaiden” and is “rewarding Hamas’s barbaric attack on the Jewish state on October 7.”

“This unilateral recognition makes peace and reconciliation even more elusive,” it said. “We urge the administration and Congress to express their opposition to the French government concerning this irresponsible action.”