In April, Macron said that time had come to “move toward recognition” and participate in a collective process in which both Israel and a Palestinian state were recognized.
But that never happened.
Now, with the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip deepening, formally recognizing a Palestinian state would look more like a reprimand, as opposed to step toward peace, explained Michel Duclos, a former ambassador to Syria and fellow at the Institut Montaigne.
“It would constitute a condemnation of Israel,” he said.
However, Duclos said European recognition of the Palestinian territories could “encourage Arab nations to define their conditions for normalizing relations with Israel.” The French diplomat quoted above said France was hoping Middle Eastern states would still take “steps” toward normalization at the conference, which is slated to run June 17 to 20 in New York.
In the end, stopping the violence in the Gaza Strip and to a lesser extent, the West Bank, depends on what the United States, Israel’s closest ally and largest military backer, decides to do. And while European officials note a shift in U.S. President Donald Trump’s attitude toward Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, there’s little sign yet Washington is ready to recognize a Palestinian state.
“It may all be a damp squib,” said the European official.
Esther Webber contributed to this report.
