Macron's Move: Palestine Recognition on the Horizon?
President Emmanuel Macron has opened the door to officially recognizing a Palestinian state, marking a historic shift for France. If confirmed, this move would make France the first G7 country to take such a step. The announcement, made on April 9, followed Macron's diplomatic visit to Egypt and was shared during a televised interview on the French show C à Vous.
Macron stated that recognition could come as early as June, aligned with a United Nations conference in New York that France will co-host with Saudi Arabia. This summit is expected to address Palestinian statehood and encourage countries that have yet to recognize Israel, including Algeria, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia, to do so in a broader push for regional stability.
Although France has long supported a two-state solution, this is a notable departure from past policy, which viewed formal recognition as contingent on a negotiated peace agreement. Macron's shift signals a significant policy change as he emphasized that recognition would come not for political convenience but "because at some point, it will be just.”
The recognition would carry substantial political weight, particularly given France's position as a permanent member of the UN Security Council. While the Palestinian state currently lacks the full attributes of sovereignty, recognition would be a significant political statement, as highlighted by David Rigoulet-Roze, a researcher at the Institute for International and Strategic Relations (IRIS) in comments to BFMTV.
Macron's position has evolved in response to the ongoing conflict in Gaza and what he views as an impasse in international diplomacy. He has expressed increasing criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, particularly regarding Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza. Macron believes that recognition of Palestine could help create the conditions for broader regional efforts to secure Israel’s security and legitimacy. As he put it, “I want to participate in a collective dynamic that will allow those defending Palestine to recognize Israel in return, something that many of them do not do.”
Macron’s approach reflects the balancing act France seeks to maintain: advocating for Palestinian statehood while defending Israel’s right to exist in peace. He reiterated France’s firm opposition to Iranian rhetoric denying Israel’s legitimacy and voiced support for the Arab peace plan. This plan envisions the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza and the disarmament of Hamas, which is recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, and other countries.
This potential recognition represents not just a shift in current policy but also a return to France’s historical approach—one that has fluctuated between supporting Israel and advocating for Palestinian self-determination.
To understand Macron’s move, it is worth recalling when France was Israel’s closest ally. During the 1950s and early 1960s, France played a role for Israel that the United States would later assume, especially in military, strategic, and diplomatic terms, with some limits. France’s support for Israel was always filtered through the lens of its colonial entanglements, particularly in North Africa, and shaped by the geopolitics of the Cold War. Unlike Washington’s enduring commitment, Paris’s alliance with Israel proved contingent—and ultimately temporary.
By the late 1960s, that privileged partnership had given way to a more ambivalent stance. The Six-Day War, followed by Charles de Gaulle’s sharp public condemnation of Israel and the imposition of an arms embargo, marked a decisive rupture. France would no longer be Israel’s strategic patron but would instead seek the role of a balanced actor—sympathetic to Israel’s security concerns but increasingly vocal in its support for Palestinian national aspirations.
François Mitterrand’s election in 1981 reopened the conversation between Paris and Jerusalem, but it did not revive the alliance of old. Personally committed to Israel’s right to exist and mindful of its democratic foundations, Mitterrand nonetheless upheld France’s post-1967 orientation. His visit to Israel in 1982—the first ever by a French president—was a symbolic gesture of goodwill, and an opportunity to articulate a new diplomatic posture.
In a speech to the Knesset, Mitterrand broke new ground by publicly endorsing, for the first time at such a level, the idea of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. “Dialogue,” he declared, “means allowing each party to go to the end of its rights. For the Palestinians, as for others, this may one day mean a state.” With this statement, France laid the foundation for a doctrine that would endure across successive administrations: a dual commitment to Israel’s security and Palestinian self-determination.
Mitterrand’s successors largely upheld this balance. Jacques Chirac reaffirmed France’s support for the two-state solution of the Oslo Accords, and became an unexpectedly popular figure in the Arab world. During his 1996 visit to Jerusalem, his public rebuke of Israeli security forces, who had aggressively cleared the way for him in the Old City, cemented his image as a leader unafraid to speak out.
This approach was echoed in 2008 by President Nicolas Sarkozy, who told the Knesset that peace would not be possible without “the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of two states and the guarantee of access to holy sites for all religions.” France also supported the Palestinian bid for UNESCO membership in 2011, which carried more symbolic than practical weight, but reaffirmed its long-standing position.
Emmanuel Macron has largely continued in this tradition—defending Israel’s right to security while underscoring the need for a viable Palestinian state. France’s position, repeatedly affirmed in UN votes and public statements, emphasizes negotiated solutions over unilateral actions. And yet, frustration has grown. Over four decades, French presidents have voiced support for a two-state solution. On the ground, however, such a solution has never seemed more distant—particularly in the aftermath of the Hamas-led attacks of October 7 and the war in Gaza that followed.
Macron’s proposal to recognize Palestine as a state has sparked significant debate both domestically and internationally, with reactions ranging from widespread support to stern opposition. While 147 countries already recognize Palestine, only a handful of European nations, including Sweden, Spain, and Ireland, have followed suit—yet their recognition has had limited impact on Israeli policies. French political reactions have been particularly divided. Left-wing leaders have celebrated Macron’s recent shift in position as a long-awaited move toward justice for Palestinians. Olivier Faure, the Secretary of the Socialist Party, voiced his relief, citing the immense suffering in Gaza as a catalyst for this decision. François Hollande, former Socialist president of France, voiced his support, suggesting that such recognition could help advance a broader diplomatic process, allowing more countries to recognize both Israel and Palestine. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of left-wing LFI, also welcomed Macron's comments, arguing that they marked a significant political shift. He suggested that this development proved that France was beginning to understand that the political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict lay in the recognition of a Palestinian state. Aymeric Caron, a deputy from LFI, emphasized the need for France to officially recognize Palestine after years of delay. LFI’s Mathilde Panot hailed Macron’s remarks as a long-overdue gesture, aligning with the left’s long-standing calls for Palestinian statehood.
In contrast, Macron has been criticised by the right. Gérard Larcher, the conservative President of the French Senate, expressed concerns about the timing, pointing to ongoing hostilities and the weakness of the Palestinian Authority. Some view the proposed recognition as premature, particularly as Israel continues to hold hostages in Gaza and Hamas maintains its militant stance. Larcher, along with other conservative figures, contends that recognizing Palestine now would be irresponsible, potentially undermining efforts for a lasting peace. The former conservative deputy Meyer Habib argued that such recognition risks legitimizing Hamas, a group they associate with terrorism.
On the far-right, figures like Sébastien Chenu from the Rassemblement National have strongly criticized the move, claiming also that it would legitimize Hamas. Chenu suggested that recognizing Palestine now would reward terrorism, asserting that this would send the wrong message to the international community. He also speculated that Macron’s position was likely motivated by domestic political considerations, attempting to appeal to certain voter bases ahead of upcoming elections.
Despite this opposition, Macron’s statement reflects a broader push to reinstate France’s influence in the Middle East. Leila Shahid, former Palestinian Ambassador to the EU, welcomed Macron’s remarks as a necessary response to the dire situation in Gaza, emphasizing that the time for recognition has long passed. Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, Palestinian State Minister for Foreign Affairs, welcomed the announcement as “a step in the right direction,” aligned with defending Palestinian rights and the two-state solution.
There remains skepticism over whether Macron will follow through, given his previous shifts on the issue. Jean-Paul Chagnollaud, president of the Institut de Recherche et d'Études Méditerranée Moyen-Orient, cautioned that any reversal of Macron's decision could severely undermine France's diplomatic credibility.
This isn’t the first time Macron has hinted at recognizing Palestine. He voiced his support in May 2024, noting it should happen "at a useful time" and not driven by “emotion.” So, why this sudden shift?
Macron's decision to pursue recognition of Palestine does not occur in a vacuum; it is deeply intertwined with broader geopolitical factors. Key to understanding this move is U.S. President Donald Trump's plan for Gaza, which Macron views as detrimental to the Palestinian population. Trump's approach, which proposes taking control of Palestinian territory and potentially expelling its people, aligns with the interests of Netanyahu's government. Macron has been vocal in his opposition, decrying the plan as a dangerous misstep and asserting that Gaza is "not a real estate project”.
Macron's stance also comes amid growing humanitarian concerns in Gaza, exacerbated by ongoing Israeli military actions. His comments during a diplomatic trip to Cairo, where he visited injured Palestinian children, reflected his deepening empathy for the victims of the conflict. This visit appears to have been a turning point, as Macron has since hardened his rhetoric against Israel. He has called for an urgent ceasefire and criticized Netanyahu’s actions as incompatible with international law
Then, it is geopolitics. While his proposed recognition of Palestine aligns with France's traditional support for a two-state solution, it also represents a challenge to regional powers. Notably, the move confronts Iran’s stance, which denies Israel’s right to exist. Macron's recognition would not only signal France's commitment to Palestinian sovereignty but also encourage broader dialogue among Palestinians, including factions that still refuse to recognize Israel. However, the task of translating this recognition into meaningful change remains daunting. Geopolitical analyst Frédéric Encel points out that the Palestinian Authority's lack of sovereignty and the reluctance of both the Israeli government and Hamas to engage in peace talks complicate efforts for a lasting resolution.
Amid growing frustration over the stagnation of peace negotiations, Macron's shift in policy reflects a growing impatience with the failure of past diplomatic efforts. The U.S. has emboldened Israel's actions, and Macron's recognition of Palestine could be seen as a response to this shift in international policy. Further complicating the situation is France’s position within the European Union, where recognition of Palestine is not universally supported. Macron's push could signal France's intent to regain leadership in European foreign policy, but it may also face resistance from EU members more aligned with Israel.
At the heart of Macron’s position is probably the question of France’s role in Middle Eastern diplomacy. The recognition of Palestine is part of a broader effort to reshape France’s influence in the region. Macron seeks to strike a delicate balance—opposing Hamas while also confronting Israel’s ongoing efforts to suppress Palestinian aspirations. Despite Macron's hardened rhetoric, his reluctance to criticize Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu directly has led some to question the effectiveness of his stance. Critics argue that France's failure to pressure Israel undermines its credibility as a mediator.
Macron’s recognition of Palestine would certainly send a powerful political signal, but its impact on the ground remains uncertain. The long-standing issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict—such as the status of Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees’ right of return, and Israeli settlements—are far from resolution. Macron’s move may be symbolic, yet it highlights France's commitment to a two-state solution, even as the obstacles to achieving lasting peace remain substantial.