Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a scathing rebuke Thursday night in response to French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement that France will formally recognize a Palestinian state, escalating diplomatic tensions ahead of the United Nations General Assembly.
In a statement shared from his office, Netanyahu declared Macron’s move “rewards terror” and warned that a sovereign Palestinian entity, under current conditions, would serve as a “launch pad to annihilate Israel, not to live in peace beside it.”
Macron unveiled the decision in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, citing France’s “historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.” He promised a “solemn announcement” before the 80th UN General Assembly session, framing recognition as essential to regional stability. Macron emphasized the need for Hamas’s demilitarization, Gaza’s reconstruction, and a peaceful Palestinian state that affirms Israel’s right to exist.
The reaction from Jerusalem was swift and uncompromising. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar echoed Netanyahu’s warning, saying: “A Palestinian state will be a Hamas state,” likening the prospect to Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, which paved the way for Hamas’s rise.
Macron’s stance revives a pledge he made in April at a co-hosted international conference with Saudi Arabia in New York, which has since been delayed under pressure from Washington. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected Macron’s announcement as “reckless,” intensifying opposition among G7 partners.
France’s decision places it at odds with allies including the U.S., UK, and Germany, all of whom have withheld official recognition of Palestinian statehood. In his post, Macron asserted, “There is no alternative,” urging international consensus on Palestinian viability and Israeli security.
Attached to his message was a letter to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, confirming France’s intent to endorse Palestinian statehood—an action likely to test international diplomacy and Middle East geopolitics in the weeks ahead.
