President Emmanuel Macron announced France’s formal recognition of Palestine as a state during the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York, declaring that ‘the time has come.’ This momentous decision, aimed at paving the way for a peaceful future for Israel and Palestine, received applause and a standing ovation from many attendees. France joins nearly 150 other nations, including Australia, Britain, Canada, and Portugal, who have made similar recognitions. While largely symbolic, these moves are intended to revive the elusive prospect of a two-state solution amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza and rapid Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank.
The Palestinian Authority’s president, Mahmoud Abbas, addressed the conference via video link, advocating for an immediate and lasting cease-fire in Gaza and for Hamas to disarm. He emphasized the Palestinian Authority’s readiness to govern a unified Palestine without Hamas, asserting the desire for ‘a state with one law and one legitimate security force.’ U.N. Secretary General António Guterres echoed these sentiments, stating that Palestinian statehood is a right, not a reward, and denying it would ‘be a gift to extremists everywhere.’
However, despite this wave of international recognition, many Palestinians in the occupied West Bank remain cautiously optimistic. While they welcome the diplomatic leverage and legitimacy it brings to their cause, there’s widespread skepticism that these declarations will translate into tangible changes on the ground, especially given Israel’s continued settlement expansion and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s steadfast rejection of a Palestinian state. Critics argue that without concrete action, recognition risks remaining merely ‘ink on paper.’
Indeed, the path to a two-state solution appears more distant than ever, nearly two years into the devastating conflict in Gaza. Israeli leaders, including Netanyahu, openly dismiss Palestinian independence, leaving Israel in control of millions of Palestinians indefinitely. Both Israeli and Palestinian factions question the feasibility of dividing the land, with some demanding full control and only a minority supporting a single, democratic state.
In a related development, protests erupted in Milan, Italy, where tens of thousands rallied for Palestinian solidarity during a general strike. While largely peaceful, clashes occurred at the city’s main train station, leading to injuries among police officers. The Italian government, a staunch ally of Israel, has not formally recognized Palestinian statehood, though it has criticized Israel’s military operations in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there. Meanwhile, Indonesia announced its commitment to providing peacekeeping forces for Gaza.
The United States, through White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, expressed disagreement with the recognition of Palestinian statehood, viewing it as unhelpful for releasing hostages and a ‘reward to Hamas.’ President Trump is expected to address these global institutional challenges during his upcoming speech at the United Nations General Assembly.
This international conference highlights a growing alignment among the majority of the international community on Palestinian statehood, contrasting sharply with the positions of the United States and Israel.