US rejects Macron's decision to recognize Palestinian state

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US rejected French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement that France will formally recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September.

“The United States strongly rejects @EmmanuelMacron’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the @UN general assembly,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X. “This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th.”

Macron earlier Thursday declared his intent to recognize Palestine during the annual gathering of world leaders in New York, saying in a public letter addressed to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas: “I have the honour of confirming that, in light of your commitments, France will fully recognize Palestine as a State when I go to the United Nations General Assembly in September.”

“In doing so, France will make a decisive contribution to peace in the Middle East and will mobilize all its international partners that wish to take part,” he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted angrily to Macron’s move, saying that recognition under current conditions “rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became.”

France will become the first member of the G7 — a group of the world’s largest advanced economies — to recognize a Palestinian state. Currently, 147 out of 193 UN member states officially recognize the State of Palestine.

Palestinian Vice President Hussein Al Sheikh welcomed Macron’s decision, calling it a reflection of “France’s commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.”

The move also comes amid Israel’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, which has killed more than 59,500 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

The military campaign has devastated the enclave, collapsed the health system and led to severe food shortages.