Rabat – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has expressed satisfaction with France’s willingness to recognize the State of Palestine.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the news on Thursday, saying that they will make it official at the upcoming UN General Assembly session in September.
“This move is a victory for the Palestinian cause,” Abbas said, stressing that the news reflects France’s commitment to support the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights to their homeland.
For Abbas, Macron’s decision reflects the role of countries that believe in the two-state solution, urging all countries to recognize the Palestinian state. Macron’s announcement is notably significant, as it puts France as the first G7 country to announce it will recognize Palestine’s sovereignty.
While France’s decision was welcomed by many, Israel predictably took offense, describing the news as a move that “rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy.”
“A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel, not to live in peace beside it,” Benjamin Netanyahu argued.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar also condemned the decision, claiming that a “Palestinian state will be a Hamas state.”
The United States, Israel’s strongest ally and backer, also rejected France’s plan, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio describing the decision as “reckless.”
“This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th,” Rubio said, touting the usual narrative that automatically comes out of Washington when discussing Palestinian sovereignty.
His remarks come as Israel continues its genocidal war on Gaza, with a starvation campaign that over 21 months has now amounted to the killing of 114 Palestinians.
Despite this backlash, many other countries have, meanwhile, welcomed France’s decision.
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait all celebrated Macron’s announcement today.
