O
ne week after President Emmanuel Macron pledged on July 24 to recognize the State of Palestine at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in September, there have been notable shifts. Two other G7 member states, the United Kingdom and Canada, have also taken steps toward recognition, as has Portugal. While the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict calls for caution, this momentum is encouraging.
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Macron decides to recognize State of Palestine amid diplomatic impasse and humanitarian disaster in Gaza
The French commitment would certainly not have resonated the same way if Israel had finally ended its war against Gaza and the Palestinians surviving there – with no resolution for the hostages still held captive. Instead, the coalition led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chose escalation by evoking ethnic cleansing and wielding starvation as a weapon.
