French President Emmanuel Macron stated that his country is ready to recognize the independence of the Palestinian state. This statement drew sharp condemnation from Israel and the United States, but Macron's European allies reacted more positively-neutrally. Is it time for another state to appear on the world map, and will this lead to an end to the bloodshed in the Middle East? The UNN correspondent investigated.
Is the world ready to recognize the Palestinian state?
President Macron announced that France intends to recognize the Palestinian state in September at the United Nations General Assembly. The French leader hopes to bring peace to the region this way.
Macron also released a letter sent to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, confirming France's intention to continue recognizing Palestine and to work to convince other partners to follow suit.
True to its historical commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine. I will make this solemn declaration at the United Nations General Assembly next September.
Thus, France, home to Europe's largest Jewish and Muslim communities, will become the first major Western country to recognize the Palestinian state. Previously, the formation of an independent state was supported only by a number of Muslim countries and left-wing dictatorial regimes.
However, the French leader's intention drew a sharp negative reaction from Israel and Washington.
In particular, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu published a rather harsh statement on his X page, emphasizing that Palestinians do not seek coexistence with Israel, but want to destroy the country.
We strongly condemn President Macron's decision to recognize a Palestinian state alongside Tel Aviv after the October 7 massacre. Such a move rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, as happened with Gaza. A Palestinian state under these conditions would be a launching pad for the destruction of Israel, not for peaceful coexistence with it. Let's be frank: Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel.
No less negative was the reaction of United States Secretary of State Mark Rubio, who also appealed to the events of October 7, 2023, when a massive attack by Hamas militants on Israel took place.
The United States strongly rejects Emmanuel Macron's plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly. This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and harms peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7.
However, the reaction of France's other allies was much more favorable. For example, UK Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology Peter Kyle recalled that the recognition of a Palestinian state is part of the program of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government.
This is a point in our government's election program - we strive for statehood for Palestine. This must happen in a way that provides support and ensures the long-term peace and stability that Palestine needs.
In turn, an anonymous source in the German government stated that Germany does not intend to recognize the Palestinian state in the short term. He added that Germany is monitoring the reaction of other major countries to France's plans to recognize Palestine.
Should we expect the emergence of another Arab state in the future? Is there a chance to end the long-standing armed confrontation between Israelis and Palestinians? To answer this, it is worth recalling the history of the conflict.
Israel and Palestine: Decades of Wars and No Solution
After the end of World War II, the United Nations decided to create two states in Palestine: a Jewish state and an Arab state. According to the adopted resolution, the Arab state was planned to be created on an area of 11.1 thousand km2 (42.88% of Palestine), where at the beginning of 1947, 749 thousand Arabs and 9520 Jews lived, and the Jewish state on an area of 14.1 thousand km2 (56.47%) with 499 thousand Jews and 510 thousand Arabs.
This idea was categorically rejected not only by Palestinian Arabs, but also by most Arab countries in the region, which launched armed aggression against Israel. This resulted in a series of wars, the most famous of which were the Six-Day War (1967) and the Yom Kippur War (1973).
As a result of Israel's victory, most of the territories that were supposed to form an Arab state were occupied. The largest territories that formed their own governing bodies and formed something like state entities were the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian National Authority in the West Bank.
This coexistence was not peaceful. Starting in the mid-1960s, Palestinian Arabs carried out bloody terrorist attacks in Israel and beyond, which included plane hijackings, bombings, hostage-taking, and the use of suicide bombers. A whole host of organizations were founded to fight Israel – the Palestine Liberation Organization, Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and others. Israel responded with military raids into Arab territory, air strikes, and so-called "targeted liquidations" – the physical elimination of Palestinian militant leaders. In this bloody confrontation, tens of thousands of people from both sides have died over almost 80 years.
Attempts to resolve the conflict: Camp David Accords
In September 1978, at a meeting between the presidents of Egypt and Israel at Camp David, the residence of US President Jimmy Carter, a historic agreement was prepared between the two countries on the start of peace talks. In Washington, the heads of state of Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty. However, in practice, peace was not achieved – Palestinian attacks on Israelis continued, and the Israel Defense Forces were in no hurry to withdraw from Palestinian territories.
Subsequently, Israel entered into direct negotiations with the Palestine Liberation Organization. In September 1993, as a result of secret negotiations in Oslo (Norway) between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, a declaration of principles on mutual relations was signed. The agreement provided for granting Palestinians autonomy in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip within five years.
Also, in 2005, Israel decided to withdraw troops from the Palestinian Authority and build a wall on the border.
The withdrawal of Israeli troops led to a conflict among the Palestinians themselves (between the moderate Fatah and the radical Hamas). The Palestinian National Authority was unable to control radical Islamists, and brutal attacks by militants on Israel did not cease. The largest occurred on October 7, 2023, and led to a new surge of violence.
It is difficult to say whether French President Emmanuel Macron's initiative will stabilize the situation. A long time of continuous bloodshed encourages skepticism. But who knows – maybe this confrontation will finally come to an end?
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