US ‘strongly rejects’ France's plan to recognise Palestine as a state: ‘Reckless decision serves Hamas propaganda’

The United States has strongly condemned France’s plan to formally recognise Palestine as a state, calling it a “reckless decision” that it says “serves Hamas propaganda”.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that France will officially recognise a Palestinian state during the UN General Assembly in September.

“The United States strongly rejects @EmmanuelMacron ’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the @UN general assembly,” said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th,” he added.

What did Macron say?

Macron, who unveiled the decision on X, published a letter sent to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirming France's intention to press ahead with Palestinian recognition and work to convince other partners to follow suit.

“True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognise the state of Palestine,” Macron said.

“I will make this solemn announcement at the United Nations General Assembly next September.”

According to an AFP tally, the latest developments bring the total number of countries that recognise or intend to recognise Palestinian statehood to at least 142, despite strong opposition from Israel and the United States.

If it proceeds, France would become the most influential European nation and the first among the G7 group of wealthy democracies to formally recognise a Palestinian state.

Also Read: Hunger grips war-torn Gaza: Around 2 million are now food insecure, ‘skeletal children fill hospital wards’

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the move “rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became.”

“A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel, not to live in peace beside it,” he said.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the move as "a disgrace and a surrender to terrorism," adding that Israel would not allow the establishment of a “Palestinian entity that would harm our security, endanger our existence.”

US stance on the Palestine issue

In a diplomatic cable sent in June, the United States expressed its opposition to any unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, warning that such actions could conflict with US foreign policy interests and potentially lead to consequences.

Also Read: Trump to pull US out of UNESCO again, citing bias toward Palestine and China: ‘Totally out-of-step’

That same month, US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, stated that he no longer believed the establishment of an independent Palestinian state was a current objective of US foreign policy.

US President Donald Trump has himself expressed doubts about a two-state solution, proposing a U.S. takeover of Gaza in February, which was condemned by rights groups, Arab states, Palestinians and the U.N. as a proposal of “ethnic cleansing”.

Also Read: India urges immediate ceasefire in Palestine at UNSC meet: ‘No other fixes or solutions’ | WATCH

Israel has been waging a devastating war in Gaza since the Palestinian militant group Hamas' deadly attack on Israel in October 2023 and says recognising a Palestinian state now would be equivalent to rewarding Hamas.

Thanking France, the Palestinian Authority's Vice President Hussein Al Sheikh said on X that Macron's decision reflected "France's commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people's rights to self-determination and the establishment of our independent state."

(With inputs from agencies)