Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday condemned the decision of French President Emmanuel Macron to recognize a Palestinian State.
"We vehemently condemn the decision to recognize a Palestinian State neighboring Tel Aviv after the October 7 massacre," he said. "This is a gift to Hamas and runs the risk of creating a new Iranian proxy, just as the Gaza Strip had become. A Palestinian State under such terms would be the staging ground for the destruction of Israel and not peaceful coexistence. Let us be clear. The Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they want a state instead of Israel," Netanyahu said.
Earlier, Macron said that France would recognize a Palestinian state and make a formal announcement at the United Nations General Assembly in September.
“True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine,” Macron wrote on X and Instagram.
“The urgent need today is to end the war in Gaza and provide aid to the civilian population. Peace is possible. There must be an immediate ceasefire that includes the release of all hostages and massive humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza,” Macron added.
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He noted, “There must also be disarmament of Hamas, security for Gaza, and efforts to rebuild it. Ultimately, it is essential to establish a Palestinian state, ensure its existence, and enable it—through its disarmament and full recognition of Israel—to contribute to security in the Middle East.” Macron insisted that “there is no alternative,” adding that his declaration reflects the will of the French people, who “want peace in the Middle East.”
“Our role as the French, along with Israelis, Palestinians, and our European and international partners, is to prove that peace is possible.”
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett said, “Recognition of a Palestinian state after the October 7 massacre is not diplomacy but a moral collapse. It’s a reward for mass murder and a message to Islamic terror groups: kill Jews and you’ll get a state. This disgraceful decision will be dumped into the trash heap of history.”
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and French President Emmanuel Macron
(Photo: Reuters)
Justice Minister Yariv Levin also responded: “French President Macron’s decision to recognize the fictitious Palestinian state is a black mark in France’s history and direct support for terror. The Land of Israel belongs to the people of Israel, and even President Macron’s declaration won’t change that. Now is the time to apply Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank. That is just the response to the shameful decision by the French president.”
Former foreign minister and Yisrael Beytenu Party chairman MK Avigdor Liberman also slammed France’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state. "Recognition of a Palestinian state is a reward for terrorism and encouragement for Hamas — a group that carried out the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. This isn’t justice, it’s surrender to terror," he said.
Earlier, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza was an "unspeakable and indefensible" humanitarian catastrophe and called on Israel to urgently allow aid into the Palestinian enclave.
"The suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible. While the situation has been grave for some time, it has reached new depths and continues to worsen. We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe," Starmer said in a statement.
Starmer said he would hold an emergency call with French and German partners on Friday to discuss what could be done to "stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need," Starmer said.