France Recognises Palestinian State as Trump Prepares to Address UN General Assembly

Published: 23 September 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

The decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict entered a new and highly significant chapter this week as France became the latest major country to formally recognise a Palestinian state. French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking at the United Nations in New York, declared that “the time for peace has come,” urging the world to end the ongoing war in Gaza and embrace the possibility of a two-state solution. The announcement places France at the forefront of a growing international wave pressing for Palestinian statehood, at a moment when Israel continues a deadly ground offensive in Gaza and international pressure intensifies over the worsening humanitarian crisis.

The move comes ahead of US President Donald Trump’s highly anticipated address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, where he is expected to present Washington’s position following mounting divisions among world powers over how to resolve the conflict. Trump’s remarks will be closely scrutinised not only by Israel and Palestine but also by influential regional powers such as Jordan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, whose leaders are also attending the New York gathering.

France’s recognition, Macron explained, is intended to underscore the urgent need for a political pathway to end what he called “the peril of endless wars.” He stressed that the Israeli hostages still held by Hamas must be released and that peace must prevail over what he described as “the logic of might.” The French leader added that the failure of the international community to deliver a just and lasting peace in the Middle East had left the two-state solution in jeopardy and that urgent action was now essential.

This recognition did not occur in isolation. A number of European states, including Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, Andorra and San Marino, are preparing to follow suit. The step also comes just a day after the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Portugal jointly recognised a Palestinian state, further isolating Israel diplomatically. International commentators suggest that this rapidly expanding list of recognisers could fundamentally reshape the diplomatic dynamics around the Israeli-Palestinian question.

Israel, however, has reacted with anger. Its government denounced the move as an undeserved reward for Hamas, the Palestinian armed group behind the 7 October 2023 attack in southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages. Since then, according to figures from Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s relentless air and ground campaigns. The humanitarian catastrophe has reached such proportions that the UN recently confirmed a famine in Gaza City, where nearly one million people had been living before the offensive.

Speaking to reporters, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Dannon, declared that a two-state solution was no longer on the table after the October attacks, dismissing the ongoing discussions as a “charade.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated that no Palestinian state will be permitted to the west of the River Jordan, while President Isaac Herzog warned that recognising Palestinian statehood would “embolden the forces of darkness.”

Despite Israel’s objections, momentum behind the recognition effort continues to build. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have erupted across Europe, including in some 80 towns and cities in Italy, where public opinion appears increasingly at odds with the government’s cautious position. On Sunday night, both Palestinian and Israeli flags were projected on the Eiffel Tower in Paris, symbolising the gravity of France’s recognition and its hope for peace. In several French municipalities, Palestinian flags were flown from town halls, even in defiance of official instructions from the national government to maintain neutrality.

At the UN, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, speaking on behalf of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, reiterated Riyadh’s long-held stance that only a two-state solution can deliver lasting peace. Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the creation of a new financial mechanism, the “Palestine Donor Group,” aimed at reconstructing Gaza and supporting Palestinian governance structures.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres adopted a similarly forceful tone, describing the crisis in Gaza as “morally, legally and politically intolerable.” He insisted that a two-state solution remains “the only credible path” to achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians, stressing that the UN would continue to advocate for negotiations despite the deepening conflict.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, whose participation was restricted after the United States revoked his visa, addressed the assembly via videolink. Abbas demanded a permanent ceasefire and insisted that Hamas could not have a role in Gaza’s governance, calling for the group to surrender its weapons to the Palestinian Authority. He underlined his rejection of Hamas’s October 2023 attack and extended a rare appeal directly to Israelis: “Our future and yours depends on peace. Enough violence and war.”

Macron echoed Abbas’s remarks, saying that France was prepared to contribute to a transitional administration in Gaza under the oversight of the Palestinian Authority, which would ensure Hamas’s disarmament. He added, however, that France would not open a Palestinian embassy until all hostages held by Hamas were released and a ceasefire was in place.

The US position remains pivotal. Washington’s absence from a one-day summit in Paris on Monday, hosted jointly by France and Saudi Arabia, raised questions about its willingness to engage with international partners on a two-state roadmap. Other G7 members, including Germany and Italy, also did not attend the summit, though Germany’s foreign minister Johann Wadephul acknowledged that while Berlin sees recognition of Palestine as a step at the “end of the process,” the process itself “must begin now.”

For President Trump, who is scheduled to deliver his address to the General Assembly in the coming hours, the stakes could not be higher. His words will be weighed against the growing consensus in Europe and beyond that Palestinian statehood is both inevitable and necessary. How he frames America’s role will influence not only the trajectory of US-Israel relations but also Washington’s standing in a world where its closest allies are beginning to diverge on one of the most consequential issues of our time.

As Gaza remains engulfed in violence and the death toll continues to rise, France’s recognition has added urgency to an already critical diplomatic moment. Whether it marks the beginning of a global shift toward a two-state solution or sparks further division among international stakeholders will depend greatly on what follows at the UN this week.