NEW YORK: President Emmanuel Macron received a long standing ovation on Monday as he formally announced France’s recognition of the State of Palestine, calling it a “historic and necessary” step to end the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict and establish a durable peace in the Middle East. Speaking at the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, he declared that “the time has come” to end the war in Gaza, free the remaining 48 Israeli hostages held by Hamas, and revive the two-state solution.

PARIS: A moment of truth: That’s how French President Emmanuel Macron sees the recognition of a Palestinian state by France and other Western nations, with the hope to make it a…

EDITORIAL. Despite the criticism it has generated, the initiative led by Emmanuel Macron, which will be declared at the United Nations on Monday, sends a message to two peoples.