International Desk
France is going to recognize Palestine as an independent state. The official announcement may come as early as next June. French President Emmanuel Macron said this.
Macron said in an interview with France Five television on Wednesday (April 9) local time that France plans to recognize a Palestinian state within a few months. The move could be made at a UN conference in New York in June to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“We must walk the path of recognizing the state of Palestine. So that’s what we will do in the next few months,” Macron said.
The president made the remarks while returning from a trip to Egypt, during which he visited the Gaza border.
In June, a United Nations conference on the formation of a Palestinian state will be held under the joint initiative of France and Saudi Arabia. Macron said, “Our goal is to co-chair this conference with Saudi Arabia in June. Where we can discuss with various parties and give formal recognition to the Palestinian state.” In return, Macron also implied that he would seek recognition of the State of Israel from other countries participating in the conference.
Meanwhile, Israel has been angered by France’s decision. The occupier’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has condemned the idea as a retaliation for terrorism.
He said, “Unilateral recognition of a fictitious Palestinian state by any state will be nothing more than a reward for terrorism and strengthening Hamas. Such actions will not bring peace, security and stability to our region, but on the contrary will worsen the situation.”
