US Politics
Marco Rubio says France’s recognition of Palestinian state is ‘slap in the face for 7 October victims’
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The United States has condemned France’s decision to formally recognise Palestine as an independent state, claiming it is ‘serving Hamas propaganda’.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday that his country will recognise Palestine as a state in September at the United Nations General Assembly. The move has sparked anger from Washington and Israel.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States “strongly rejects (Macron’s) plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN general assembly.”
In a post on X he said: “This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th.”
President Donald Trump later said that Mr Macron’s statement “doesn’t carry weight”.
More than 1,200 Israelis were killed by Hamas militants in the 7 October, 2023 attacks, while more than 250 were taken hostage into the Gaza strip. The attacks sparked an Israeli military campaign in Gaza which has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also condemned the decision by one of Israel’s closest allies and a G7 member, saying such a move “rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy.”
In a diplomatic cable in June, the United States said it opposed steps to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state, arguing it could go against US foreign policy interests and draw consequences. Washington’s ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said in June he did not think an independent Palestinian state remained a US foreign policy goal.
President Donald Trump has himself expressed doubts about a two-state solution, proposing a US takeover of Gaza in February. The idea was condemned by rights groups, Arab states, Palestinians and the UN as a proposal of “ethnic cleansing”.
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The US and Israel’s refusal to recognise Palestine sets them at odds with many of their Western allies.
Currently, 147 of the 193 member states of the United Nations recognise the state of Palestine. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK will recognise a Palestinian state once there is a ceasefire between Israel and Palestine.
Canada has also pressed Israel to seek peace, with Prime Minister Mark Carney condemning its “failure to prevent the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza” and reiterating support for a two-state solution.
Despite this, none of the G7 countries – the UK, USA, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan – currently recognise a Palestinian state.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz also condemned France’s decision, describing the move as “a disgrace and a surrender to terrorism”. He added that Israel would not allow the establishment of a “Palestinian entity that would harm our security, endanger our existence.”
Thanking France, the Palestinian Authority’s Vice President Hussein Al Sheikh said on X that Mr 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.”
