As the United Nations General Assembly convenes in New York this week, the world’s attention is once again fixed on the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict—this time with a dramatic new twist. French President Emmanuel Macron, in a move that has sent ripples through diplomatic circles, announced his intention to formally recognize a Palestinian state, joining a mounting international push to revive the two-state solution and end the war in Gaza. The plan, developed over the past six months in close partnership with Saudi Arabia, represents one of the boldest attempts in recent years to break the deadlock that has stymied peace efforts for decades.
The initiative, known as the "New York Declaration," is the product of a high-level international conference co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia in July 2025. According to France 24 and other sources, the conference’s outcomes were reviewed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Macron during a call on September 20, 2025, just days before the summit-level resumption scheduled for September 22. Both leaders commended the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of the declaration, which was approved by an overwhelming majority—an endorsement that signals a growing global consensus for advancing Palestinian statehood.
Macron’s decision is not without controversy. As reported by The New York Times, the French leader’s plan is part of a broader diplomatic push to salvage the two-state solution—an idea that, while still the official policy of most Western governments, has looked increasingly distant in the wake of ongoing violence. The plan, meticulously crafted with Saudi input, lays out a 42-point roadmap for the "day after" the war in Gaza. It envisions a transitional administrative committee to oversee governance and a United Nations stabilization force to provide security—a framework designed to address both immediate humanitarian needs and the longer-term goal of building a sustainable Palestinian state.
Yet the plan’s most ardent supporters admit it faces formidable obstacles. Notably missing from the chorus of international endorsements are the voices of Israel, the United States, and Hamas—each of whom would need to participate for the plan to have any hope of success. "The ingredients required to test the possibility of a two-state solution are simply not there," said Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a former adviser on Arab-Israeli negotiations, as quoted by The New York Times. "But it’s wholly untethered from the current reality."
That reality is grim. Since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 Israelis and resulted in 250 hostages, Israeli forces have launched a relentless ground assault on Gaza. According to local health officials in Gaza, approximately 65,000 people have died—though this figure does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The humanitarian crisis has only deepened as hundreds of thousands have been displaced from their homes in central Gaza City.
Macron’s plan is explicit in its condemnation of the Hamas attack and demands that the group end its rule in Gaza, hand over its weapons, and release all remaining Israeli hostages. It also calls for the creation of a "transitional administrative committee" and the deployment of a UN-led stabilization force, though the specifics of which countries would contribute troops remain unresolved. Crucially, the plan depends on buy-in from the United States, whose leverage with Israel is seen as essential for halting the conflict. "France and Saudi Arabia are providing the most constructive concrete assist they can to enable President Trump to achieve the peace he promised, and also regional normalization," said Rym Momtaz, editor in chief of the Strategic Europe blog at the Carnegie Endowment, highlighting the reliance on U.S. involvement.
However, both Israel and the United States have expressed deep reservations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly declared, "there will be no Palestinian state," while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during a visit to Jerusalem, dismissed the recognition of a Palestinian state as merely symbolic and warned it could embolden Hamas. The Trump administration, according to diplomatic sources, has pressured allies not to sign on to the plan, fearing it could complicate efforts to end the fighting and secure the release of hostages. The United States has also blocked previous Palestinian bids for full UN membership, citing the lack of unified Palestinian control and the ongoing presence of Hamas in Gaza.
Despite these challenges, the movement to recognize Palestine has gained substantial momentum. As of April 2024, about 143 of the 193 UN member states—including Ukraine, Spain, Ireland, and Norway—have recognized Palestine as an independent state. Since Macron’s July announcement, more than a half-dozen countries, including Canada and Britain, have followed suit or signaled their intention to do so during the current summit. The European Union and the Arab League, along with seventeen countries, have also supported calls to disarm Hamas and end its rule in Gaza as a prerequisite for peace.
For France, the decision carries special weight. The country is home to the largest Jewish and Muslim populations in Western Europe, and as the only EU nation with a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and nuclear capabilities, its actions on the world stage are closely watched. Macron’s recognition of Palestine is seen as symbolically significant by Arab states, providing leverage to extract commitments from Palestinian leaders. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has responded by pledging to hold elections in 2026 and to reform the Palestinian education system to remove hate speech, addressing a longstanding Israeli concern.
Meanwhile, Macron has also turned his attention to France’s domestic challenges. In a statement on the X platform, he acknowledged the anxiety and fear experienced by French Jews since the outbreak of the Gaza war. "Anxiety, loneliness, fear: this week they again told me how much their lives have changed since October 7. They also told me about their demand for justice and protection," Macron wrote. He has directed the Ministry of Justice to strengthen the response to antisemitism, emphasizing "absolute vigilance and immediate response" to punish those responsible for antisemitic acts. "In the face of hatred, the last word will always belong to the Republic. The nation will always be mobilized," he added, underscoring the government’s commitment to justice and social cohesion.
As the diplomatic drama plays out in New York, the stakes could hardly be higher. The plan’s backers hope that mounting international pressure will eventually bring the United States and Israel to the table, but even they acknowledge the odds are long. "It’s a gesture of despair," said Gérard Araud, former French ambassador to Israel, the United States, and the United Nations. "We are heading toward a disaster; we are trying to stop it." Whether Macron’s bold move will mark a turning point or simply join the long list of failed peace initiatives remains to be seen. For now, the world watches, waiting for a breakthrough that has eluded generations.
