“A Palestinian State has never been as threatened or as necessary as it is now”

Why was the decision made to recognize a Palestinian State?

THE MINISTER – This decision is the fruit of a long process initiated by President Macron, which has engaged the efforts of the French diplomatic corps over many months. It expresses France’s refusal to accept the unjustifiable in Gaza and the unacceptable in the West Bank. The refusal to watch a people be permanently deprived of their right to self-determination. The refusal to watch the permanent erasure of the two-state solution, which is the only solution likely to guarantee peace and security in the region. With its current policy, Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration is undermining Israel’s security, to which France is staunchly committed.

Why announce it Thursday evening on X?

THE MINISTER – The possibility of a Palestinian State has never been as threatened or as necessary as it is now. It is threatened by the destruction of the Gaza Strip, unbridled Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank – which weakens the very idea of territorial continuity – and the international community’s resignation. It is necessary because it is unrealistic to think about obtaining a lasting ceasefire, the release of the hostages held by Hamas, and Hamas’s surrender without first sketching out plans for a political future.

I’ve taken 20 trips to the Middle East. I’ve had hundreds of meetings with my counterparts in order to set into motion a collective dynamic capable of reviving the political solution involving two States – one Palestinian and one Israeli – which is the only solution likely to bring peace and stability back to the region.

Next question: So has France abandoned all of its preconditions?

THE MINISTER – The conditions for peace remain unchanged. Our absolute priority remains an immediate ceasefire, the release of all the hostages held by Hamas, and the massive and unhindered influx of humanitarian aid. Hamas must be disarmed and permanently excluded from governing Gaza and Palestine. The Palestinian Authority must be completely reformed. Arab countries must normalize relations with the State of Israel and work with Israel to build a shared security architecture. The collective dynamic that we have established has already made it possible to secure unprecedented commitments on all the above points. Other commitments will take shape in the coming days and weeks.

How would you describe the President’s decision? Is it historic in the context of France’s policy toward the Arab world?

THE MINISTER – It is the fulfillment of a pledge made by President Macron, following in the footsteps of his predecessors of the past 40 years – one that reflects France’s historic commitment to seeing just and lasting peace in the Middle East. But it is also and above all a beginning. Between now and 21 September [the date when France will formally recognize the State of Palestine before the UN General Assembly], we will be working tirelessly to bring together other countries that are likely to recognize Palestine and to obtain new commitments from Arab countries regarding Israel’s security, in addition to the ones we have already received.

As a permanent member of the Security Council, France cannot tolerate this permanent state of war. We have a special responsibility on matters of security, freedom and peace in the world. We must also defend our own interests, whether French or European. And everyone knows that the instability of the Middle East has considerable consequences for French citizens in their day-to-day lives.

What do you hope to achieve with your decision?

THE MINISTER – The approach we have undertaken has already made it possible to secure powerful commitments from the President of the Palestinian Authority. This Monday and Tuesday, France will bring together the entire international community in New York for a conference held under the auspices of the UN. This is an initiative that we launched last December with Saudi Arabia. At this conference, the Arab countries will, for the first time, condemn Hamas and call for its disarmament, which will make its definitive isolation official. European countries will confirm their intention to recognize the State of Palestine. Half of European countries have already done so. All the others are considering it.

We already know that the UK and Germany won’t be following suit.

THE MINISTER – France is the first G7 country to move forward with recognizing Palestine. The British Prime Minister has stated his intention to do so. Germany is considering doing so at a later stage. In New York, we will be calling for other countries to join us in order to set into motion an even stronger, more ambitious dynamic that will reach its culmination on 21 September.

This recognition isn’t an end in itself, you’re making a commitment. What will you be doing to make this State viable?

THE MINISTER – A certain number of commitments on the part of the Palestinian Authority are required to create the conditions enabling the State of Palestine to take shape, including security conditions for Israel. For the first time, in a letter addressed to President Macron in June, President Mahmoud Abbas used the word “terrorist” to describe the 7 October 2023 attacks. He called for the disarmament of Hamas. He promised to hold elections a year from now that will allow for a generational shift in leadership and will exclude Hamas and all violent and terrorist groups. He also agreed that the State of Palestine be demilitarized. That’s considerable.

Yet armies are one of the attributes of a nation.

THE MINISTER – By accepting the principle of demilitarization, the Palestinian Authority has shown that this State will not be a threat to Israel’s future security.

Benjamin Netanyahu is accusing France of “encouraging terror.” Does that surprise you?

THE MINISTER – I would like to remind the Israeli Prime Minister of his 2009 speech at Bar Ilan, in which he laid out the conditions for a two-state solution. They are no more and no less than the ones we have put on the table. I would invite the Israeli Government to take advantage of this French initiative in order to end the deadlock, close the book on the war and start a new, peaceful chapter. I would add that our differences with the Israeli Government on the conditions for peace in no way detract from our close and longstanding cooperation regarding the existential threat to Israel: Iran’s nuclear programme. France is and will remain one of the Israeli Government’s key partners.

The Israeli Finance Minister asserted that Paris’s decision would give Israel “an additional reason” to annex the West Bank, which it has occupied since 1967. And on Wednesday, the Knesset also urged the government to annex the West Bank. What do you think?

THE MINISTER – Settlement activity in the West Bank is contrary to international law and undermines Israel’s long-term security. You only have to look at the extreme violence we have seen in the West Bank, including actions against the Israeli army, to understand that it’s a direct cause of unrest.

What can France do to prevent it?

THE MINISTER – We have imposed sanctions on several occasions against individuals or entities responsible for extremist settler violence. We have done so at both the national and European levels. We proposed to do so again in coordination with the United Kingdom and Canada, among others – countries that also believe that the settlements are not only contrary to international law, but contrary to Israel’s security interests.

But these measures have had no effect so far.

THE MINISTER – Over the past few weeks, the EU has engaged in a rigorous dialogue with the Israeli Government. It obtained initial commitments on access to humanitarian aid in the Gaza strip – commitments that have not yet been met. But pressure is rising in Europe and we will take a tougher line. The European Commission will clarify what we expect to see: a halt to any new settlement plans in the West Bank and an end to the militarized system of relief distribution, which has led to bloodbaths in Gaza. In the coming days, the Commission will announce the measures we will take if this tragedy continues.

How exactly can we bring an end to this conflict, the famine in Gaza and the massacre of civilians?

THE MINISTER – Gaza is suffering from famine, devastation and death. The EU has the strongest leverage. It must demand that Israel lift the financial blockade and pay the amount it owes the Palestinian Authority. The weakness of the Palestinian Authority is hardly surprising, given that it is being deprived of €2 billion.

On Friday, Trump said that President Macron’s decision doesn’t carry weight. How can we move forward without American support?

THE MINISTER – The vast majority of countries around the world hailed the President’s decision, including the 148 countries that have already recognized Palestine. This week in New York, we, along with Saudi Arabia, a major actor in the region, will present our shared vision of the “postwar era” with the aim of ensuring Gaza’s reconstruction, security and governance, thereby paving the way to the two-state solution. Our approach is perfectly compatible with the approach taken by the Abraham Accords adopted by President Trump during his first term. And when the time comes, it will facilitate the signing of new agreements supported by the US administration. But meanwhile, inaction is not an option./.