French president Emmanuel Macron strikes the gavel to open the session at the United Nations headquarters in New York on September 22, 2025. JULIEN MUGUET FOR LE MONDE
On Monday, September 22, from the podium of the United Nations (UN) in New York, French President Emmanuel Macron declared that France was recognizing the State of Palestine, fulfilling the promise he made this summer.
Seeking to outline a "path to peace" set to be fraught with obstacles, Macron hopes to save the "two-state solution" that Israel is working to undermine in both Gaza and the West Bank, where settlement expansion is accelerating.
What could be the consequences of this diplomatic recognition? Could it have an impact on Israel's ground offensive in Gaza? Gilles Paris, a columnist and former correspondent in Jerusalem and Washington for Le Monde, answered readers' questions on Tuesday, September 23, during a liveblog. Here is a translated selection of those questions and answers.
Recognizing the State of Palestine without imposing sanctions on Israel – isn't that just a way to ease one's conscience at little cost?
