France Recognizes Palestine. Israel and the US Boycott Summit.
At the UN summit in New York, dedicated to the two-state solution, France officially announced its recognition of Palestine. However, the US and Israel refused to participate in the event, calling it pointless.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated in his speech that Paris supports the peaceful coexistence of Israel and Palestine. He noted that Israel continues its military operation in Gaza against Hamas, but civilians remain the main victims: hundreds of thousands have fled their homes, many are wounded and suffering from hunger.
“We are convinced that recognizing Palestine is the only path to peace. France has never abandoned its support for Israel, even when its security was threatened, including by attacks from Iran. But recognizing Palestine is a blow to Hamas, not to Israel,” Macron said.
He added that the priority remains the release of the 48 hostages and an end to the fighting in Gaza. Macron also thanked Qatar, Egypt, and the United States for their mediation efforts and called on Israel to refrain from taking steps that could derail the negotiations.
“The time has come to end terror and build peace. That’s what we’re here for, and we hope we’ll succeed,” the French president emphasized.
New countries have joined
Malta, Monaco, Belgium, and Luxembourg have already joined France’s initiative. All of them also recognized a Palestinian state at the summit.
The list of countries supporting this move is expected to grow. Summit organizers promise to announce further statements later.