A protester holds a Palestinian flag at a rally called by several French organizations in support of Palestinians, in Paris, on May 7, 2024. JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday, July 24, that France would formally recognize Palestine as a state, amid rising global anger over people starving in Gaza. Macron said, in a post on X, that he will formalize the decision at the United Nations General Assembly in September. "The urgent thing today is that the war in Gaza stops and the civilian population is saved.″
The French president offered support for Israel after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks and frequently speaks out against antisemitism, but he has grown increasingly frustrated by Israel's war in Gaza in recent months. "Given its historic commitment to a just and sustainable peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine," Macron posted. "Peace is possible." He also posted a letter he sent to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas about the decision.
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Recognizing the State of Palestine: Macron's unfulfilled promise
