France announced on Saturday that it will officially recognize the State of Palestine in September, calling the move a “necessary step” toward peace and regional stability. This decision, announced by President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, reaffirms France’s commitment to a two-state solution based on international law.
A Historical Parallel with Israel’s Recognition
The French Foreign Ministry highlighted the historical context of its decision in a post on the social media platform X. They drew a parallel to France’s recognition of the State of Israel on January 24, 1949.
Citing a letter from former Foreign Minister Robert Schuman, the ministry pointed out that France’s 1949 recognition of Israel did not prejudge its final borders. This same principle, they noted, is now being applied to the recognition of Palestine. The ministry stated that official recognition will help facilitate the “necessary negotiations” between Israelis and Palestinians on final status issues, including borders.
France’s recognition will make it the first member of the G7—the group of the world’s largest economies—to officially recognize a Palestinian state. To date, 147 out of 193 UN member states have officially recognized Palestine.
