Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Saturday that recognizing a Palestinian state before it is established could be counterproductive. "I am very much in favor of the State of Palestine, but I am not in favor of recognizing it prior to establishing it," Meloni told Italian daily La Repubblica.
"If something that doesn't exist is recognized on paper, the problem could appear to be solved when it isn't," Meloni added after French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would recognize a Palestinian state.
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz
(Photo: Stefan Rousseau / Reuters)
Macron said that he would be using the UN General Assembly in September to make a formal announcement. “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 said in a post.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday dismissed Macron's announcement, saying it "carries no weight," while Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it a "slap in the face of the victims of the October 7."
In contrast, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed support for Macron’s statement. “Canada will work intensively in all fora to further that end, including through the participation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the UN High-Level Conference on a Two-State Solution in New York next week,” he posted on X.
Macron’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state followed months of internal political pressure and consultations with international allies. Palestinian officials told Ynet the move was the culmination of years of diplomacy. A senior Palestinian diplomat said the war in Gaza underscored that the status quo was no longer sustainable.
US President Trump says French President Macron’s announcement on recognition of Palestinian State ‘irrelevant’
(Video: FOXNEWS)
In official correspondence with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, Macron linked France’s recognition to a series of commitments by the Palestinian leader. These included a public condemnation of the Oct. 7 Hamas-led massacre, a pledge to implement serious reforms within the PA and a commitment to hold general elections within a year under international supervision.
“This is a legitimate diplomatic achievement,” Fatah spokesperson Dr. Jamal Nazzal told Ynet. “France made a courageous decision, and we expect other countries, such as the UK, to follow suit.”
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Britain, however, has shown no urgency in joining France’s recognition of a Palestinian state. The Labour government did join France and Germany in a joint statement Friday calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and supporting mediation efforts led by the United States, Qatar and Egypt.
“The humanitarian catastrophe we are seeing in Gaza must end now. We strongly oppose the imposition of Israeli rule over the occupied Palestinian territories,” the statement read.
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Macron with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas
(Photo: Ludovic Marin / AFP)
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was pursuing a practical path toward peace that would bring tangible relief to those affected by the war. “I am working on concrete steps and a pathway to peace in the region, focused on the practical solutions that will make a real difference to the lives of those who are suffering in this war,” he said.
“Recognition of a Palestinian state has to be one of those steps. I am unequivocal about that. But it must be part of a wider plan that ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for both Palestinians and Israelis.”
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said any recognition of a Palestinian state must be contingent on its recognition of Israel. “A Palestinian state that does not recognize Israel means the problem will not be resolved,” he said, drawing criticism from opposition lawmakers.
Ofer Bronchtein, a French-Israeli adviser to Macron, told Ynet he believes other countries will follow France’s lead. “France is the first G7 country to recognize a Palestinian state,” he said. “We intend to bring more countries on board, such as Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.”