French President Macron Signals Possible Palestinian State Recognition by June

SEAToday.com, Jakarta - French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Wednesday that France may officially recognize Palestine as a state during an upcoming international conference hosted by Saudi Arabia in June.

"We need to move toward recognition… Our goal is to co-chair a conference with Saudi Arabia in June, where we can finalize this recognition," Macron told France 5 television as quoted on Antara.

His statement signals a potential shift in France’s long-standing position, aligning more closely with a growing international consensus. Currently, over 140 of the 193 United Nations member states have recognized Palestine as a sovereign state.

The push for recognition comes amid ongoing tensions and conflict in the region, with France positioning itself to play a more active diplomatic role. Macron emphasized that the planned conference in June would be a platform to address the broader issues of peace and statehood in the region.

The roots of Palestine’s international recognition trace back to the 1947 United Nations General Assembly vote, which proposed partitioning the British Mandate of Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem under international administration. While the plan was accepted by the Jewish leadership and led to the establishment of Israel in May 1948, the proposed Arab state of Palestine did not materialize as envisioned.

France’s potential recognition of Palestinian statehood, particularly as part of a multilateral effort led by Saudi Arabia, would mark a significant diplomatic development in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The outcome of the June conference may also influence other Western nations that have yet to formally recognize Palestine.

Writer: Andi Raisa Malaha Thambas