French President Emmanuel Macron is poised to make a seismic diplomatic move by formally declaring France’s recognition of a Palestinian state on Monday, September 22, 2025, at a United Nations conference in New York co-chaired with Saudi Arabia. The announcement, timed with the start of the U.N. General Assembly, is already sending ripples through international corridors and igniting fierce debate both in France and abroad.
Macron, who has faced mounting challenges at home, now appears determined to leave a lasting mark on the world stage. In a recent interview broadcast on Israeli Channel 12, Macron asserted, “We have to recognize the legitimate right of Palestinian people to have a state. If you don’t give a political perspective, in fact you just put them in the hands of those who are just proposing a security approach, an aggressive approach.” According to the Associated Press, Macron views this recognition as a landmark step toward peace in the Middle East, especially as the war in Gaza rages on following the devastating October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel.
France’s move is not happening in isolation. More than 145 countries already recognize a Palestinian state, including a growing number in Europe. The Elysée has confirmed that nine other states—including the UK, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Portugal, Malta, and Luxembourg—are expected to follow suit in the coming days. This will make France and the UK the first permanent members of the UN Security Council, and along with Canada, the first G7 members to take this step.
For Macron, this is more than symbolic. French foreign ministry spokesman Pascal Confavreux told AFP, “This recognition is not the end of our diplomatic efforts. It is not a symbolic recognition. It is part of a broader and very concrete action,” referencing a French-Saudi roadmap designed to accompany the recognition and foster a return to the two-state solution. The plan envisions a Palestinian state within the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and east Jerusalem—territories Israel seized in the 1967 Mideast war.
However, Macron has made it clear that France’s recognition of a Palestinian state comes with strings attached. The dismantlement of Hamas is non-negotiable. In July, Arab League nations agreed that “Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority” as part of the New York Declaration at the U.N. Macron reiterated on U.S. network CBS, “Hamas is just obsessed by destroying Israel. But I recognize the legitimacy of so many Palestinian people who want a state ... and we shouldn’t push them toward Hamas.”
Yet, the diplomatic gamble is not without risk. According to France 24, Macron described recognition as “the best way to isolate Hamas.” But Israeli officials and the United States have pushed back hard. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could retaliate by shutting down France’s consulate in Jerusalem—a vital link for Palestinians—or even annex more of the West Bank, where settlement expansion continues to stoke international outrage. “There is going to be a lot of noise,” an unnamed diplomat told AFP. Israeli Ambassador to France Joshua Zarka voiced his government’s frustration, stating, “From the beginning, we have made it clear that recognition of a Palestinian state by France, without any conditions, would complicate the situation on the ground rather than advance peace.” Zarka added that France should have insisted all Israeli hostages held by Hamas be released first.
The United States, for its part, has also made its opposition clear. U.S. Ambassador to France Charles Kushner denounced the move on social media, accusing Macron of fueling violence and acting on “unmet French conditions.” Meanwhile, the Palestinian representative in France, Hala Abou Hassira, urged France to go further by imposing an arms embargo on Israel and cutting EU-Israel relations, arguing that recognition alone is not enough to change realities on the ground.
For Macron, the decision appears deeply personal. People close to him told AFP that he made up his mind while traveling from the Egyptian border point of El-Arish in April, after witnessing the suffering caused by the blockade of Gaza. “The urgent thing today is that the war in Gaza stops and the civilian population is saved,” Macron wrote on X (formerly Twitter) at the end of July, announcing his intention to recognize Palestinian statehood.
Back home, Macron’s move has touched a raw nerve. France is home to Europe’s largest Jewish and Muslim populations, and the announcement has sparked strong reactions. The Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF) condemned the recognition as “a moral failing, a diplomatic error, and a political danger,” warning of a further rise in antisemitism, which has already surged since the October 7 attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza. Weekly pro-Palestinian protests have become a fixture in Paris and other French cities, reflecting the deep divisions within French society.
Political factions have responded along familiar lines. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, whose National Rally party leads in the polls, accused Macron of “doing it purely for electoral reasons.” Meanwhile, the left-wing opposition welcomed the move, with Socialist Party head Olivier Faure even calling on mayors to raise the Palestinian flag over town halls on Monday. In response, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau instructed local prefects to oppose such displays, invoking the principle of neutrality in public services. “There are enough divisive issues in the country without importing the conflict in the Middle East,” Retailleau wrote on X.
Analysts are divided on the likely impact of France’s recognition. Agnes Levallois, deputy president of the Institute for Research and Study of the Mediterranean and Middle East, told AFP, “Ultimately, it is the Palestinians who have the most to lose in this crisis,” suggesting that only sanctions against Israel would have real impact. A French presidential official, speaking anonymously, warned that any annexation of the West Bank by Israel “is obviously the worst possible violation of UN resolutions.”
Amidst this diplomatic maelstrom, Macron’s domestic standing remains precarious. After dissolving the National Assembly last year, he faces a hung parliament and mounting public discontent over political instability, rising prices, and a spiraling deficit. He has also just appointed his seventh prime minister, underlining the turbulence of his administration. Yet, some see his international activism as a bid to secure a legacy akin to France’s opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 under President Jacques Chirac. Former ambassador Michel Duclos suggested, “This could become a success for France.”
Meanwhile, Macron has not limited his diplomatic ambitions to the Middle East. Alongside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, he is leading efforts to bolster support for Ukraine. Twenty-six allies have pledged to send troops as a reassurance force once the conflict with Russia ends, underscoring Macron’s commitment to shaping a new European and global order.
As the world watches, Macron’s gamble on Palestinian statehood stands as a high-stakes test of both his leadership and the international community’s appetite for a renewed push toward peace. Whether it brings lasting change or merely stirs more controversy remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the French president has thrust himself—and his country—into the very heart of the world’s most intractable conflict.
