Macron supports recognizing Palestinian state for peace, but with condition
President of France Emmanuel Macron (photo: Getty Images)
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed France's stance on the peace process in the Middle East, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the Palestinian state, according to his post on the social media platform X.
He noted that France's position is clear: "Yes to peace. Yes to Israel’s security. Yes to a Palestinian state without Hamas."
In his view, this requires the release of all hostages, a lasting ceasefire, immediate restoration of humanitarian aid, and the search for a political solution based on the two-state principle.
"The only path possible is a political one. I support the legitimate right of Palestinians to a state and to peace, just as I support the right of Israelis to live in peace and security, both recognized by their neighbors," added Macron.
The French president also noted that the upcoming conference on the two-state solution, scheduled for June this year, should be a turning point.
"To succeed, we must not ease our efforts. Let us not give in to shortcuts or provocations. Let us not allow any misinformation and manipulation to spread," concluded the French president.
Recognition of Palestine as an independent state
Palestine is a region in the Middle East. Its territory is divided into the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, which is a coastal strip of land.
According to the Palestinian administration, which has limited authority in some parts of the West Bank, the majority of United Nations member countries recognize Palestine as a state. Most of these are countries from the Global South.
Sweden was the first Western European country to recognize Palestine in 2014. Prior to this, the state of Palestine had been recognized by Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Romania.
To date, more than 140 of the 193 United Nations member countries have recognized the independence of the Palestinian state. Israel opposes the recognition of Palestine as a separate state due to the Hamas attack in October 2023.
In February 2025, US President Donald Trump proposed sending American troops to the Gaza Strip. He suggested rebuilding the region, which was destroyed by the war between Israel and Hamas, and creating a Middle Eastern Riviera in its place. Instead, he proposed temporarily relocating the residents of Palestine from the Gaza Strip to Jordan and Egypt.
The UN has equated this proposal by Trump to ethnic cleansing.
For an in-depth look at the main issues surrounding the recognition of Palestine as a state and what may happen next in this process, read the article by RBC-Ukraine.
