French President Emmanuel Macron has said that France could officially recognize a Palestinian state by June, signaling a major shift in its foreign policy.
Speaking during an interview on France 5 television on Wednesday, Macron said, “We need to move towards recognition (of a Palestinian state). And so over the next few months, we will. I’m not doing it to please anyone. I’ll do it because at some point it will be right.”
He added that this recognition could also encourage some Middle Eastern countries to acknowledge Israel. “And because I also want to take part in a collective dynamic that should also enable those who defend Palestine to recognise Israel in their turn, something that many of them are not doing.”
Although nearly 150 countries already recognize Palestine as a sovereign state, most Western powers — including the United States, Britain, France, Germany, and Japan — have not yet taken that step. On the other hand, countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen do not recognize Israel.
Macron revealed that France and Saudi Arabia are planning to co-chair a conference in June aimed at pushing for mutual recognition. “Our objective is somewhere in June, with Saudi Arabia, to chair this conference where we could finalise the movement towards reciprocal recognition by several countries,” he said.
