French President Macron says France will recognize Palestine as a state

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday that France will recognize Palestine as a state, amid snowballing global anger over people starving in Gaza.

Within hours, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States “strongly rejects” the move.

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

Earlier, Macron said in a post on X that he will formalize the decision at the United Nations General Assembly in September. “The urgent thing today is that the war in Gaza stops and the civilian population is saved.″

The French president offered support for Israel after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and frequently speaks out against antisemitism, but he has grown increasingly frustrated about Israel’s war in Gaza, especially in recent months.

″Given its historic commitment to a just and sustainable peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the state of Palestine,’’ Macron posted. ″Peace is possible.’’

He also posted a letter he sent to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas about the decision.

France is the biggest and most powerful European country to recognize Palestine. More than 140 countries recognize a Palestinian state, including more than a dozen in Europe.

France has Europe’s largest Jewish population and the largest Muslim population in western Europe, and fighting in the Middle East often spills over into protests or other tensions in France.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry had no immediate comment.