Can France recognize the State of Palestine ?

The decision to recognize the state of Palestine was made announced on Wednesday, May 22, by Spain, Ireland and Norway. This approach, welcomed by the Palestinians, was welcomed by the Palestinians. Discarded for the moment by France.

Within the UN, a very large majority of countries recognize the state of Palestine. According to a decision announced this Wednesday, May 22, three countries are preparing to move forward. Join this list: Ireland today, Norway and Spain today. starting May 28. And after France ? Norway, Ireland and Spain are among the very rare Western countries with recognize Palestine. The vast majority of the European Union, the United States, but also Canada and Australia, do not recognize the existence of ;#39;a Palestinian state. This is the case of France. In 1988, whenù half countries of the UN were positioning themselves, François Mitterrand explained that this recognition posed "no problem of principle". But as long as Israel occupied the Palestinian territories, it did not want to make any decisions.

Since then, Emmanuel Macron has affirmed, on February 16: "The recognition of a Palestinian state is not a taboo for France. "We owe it to the Palestinians, whose aspirations have been fulfilled. trampled on for too long. We owe it to the Israelis who experienced the greatest anti-Semitic massacre of our century.” This Wednesday, May 22, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Stéphane Séjourné added that the decision had to “come at the right time so that there is a before and an after”. Paris therefore believes that the conditions do not are not united " à today so that this decision has a real impact.

Towards an announcement with other countries ?

Hugh Lovatt, in charge of mission to the Middle East and North Africa program of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), believes that France "wants to do &ccedil ;a with other countries, with Arab countries, as is happening today." The decision of the three European countries will put "some pressure" on the French government çais "to act within weeks or months à come". "France is expected on this issue égivené “its status and political weight within the European Union”, he specifies.