French President Macron urges Netanyahu to recognize a Palestinian state and halt Gaza military operations

French President Emmanuel Macron urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a letter to accept a “Palestinian state” and cancel the military plan to dismantle Hamas' last major stronghold in Gaza City. Arguing that Israel and its neighbors face an “historic opportunity” to achieve long-term peace, the French leader urged Netanyahu to reject the plan to reoccupy the remaining 25% of Gaza that the Israeli military still does not control. 

Macron’s blunt letter to Netanyahu was a response to the prime minister's previous letter where he criticized the French government of rewarding terrorism and fueling antisemitism through its announced intention to unilaterally recognize a “Palestinian state.” 

Netanyahu has stressed that Israel does not seek to reoccupy Gaza but seeks to dismantle Hamas and secure the release of the remaining Israeli hostages, which the terror group has refused to release. 

Macron announced in July that Paris intends to recognize the “State of Palestine” at the upcoming UN summit in September. 

“France remains committed to its historic duty to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine. I will issue a formal declaration at the United Nations General Assembly in September,” he stated.

Macron’s announcement led to a diplomatic tsunami where the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Australia also announced their plans to recognize the Palestinian Authority as a de facto state. 

The United States and Israel have both criticized the recognition of a “Palestinian state” as a reward for terrorism and the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, massacre of 1,200 Israelis and kidnapping of 251 people from Israel. 

In his letter to Netanyahu, Macron dismissed the charge that his Middle East policy is causing antisemitism as an “offense to France as a whole.” The French further argued that his government is committed to combating antisemitism and had reportedly mobilized some 15,000 police officers to secure Jewish community buildings and synagogues across France following the Oct. 7 atrocities. 

“The fight against antisemitism must not be weaponized,” Macron claimed in his letter. While stressing France’s commitment to protecting Jews, Macron claimed that the fight against antisemitism “cannot excuse Israel for the policies it is conducting today in Gaza and the Palestinian territories.”

However, many French Jews agree with Israel and the United States that Macron’s Middle East policy has fueled hatred against the Jewish people and rewarded Islamist extremism. 

“We see it as a recognition of the terrorist value of the 7th of October,” French Jewish leader Robert Ejnes explained earlier this month. 

“And we're not the only ones to say it, because Hamas leaders say exactly the same thing three days ago," he added. 

Ejnes warned that unless the situation in France improves, many Jews will consider emigrating to Israel and other countries. 

However, Macron has stressed that his recognition of “Palestine” is final and stressed that the two-state solution is the only path forward. He did not address the fact that every time the two-state solution was presented, Israel accepted it while the Arab side rejected it and initiated war and terrorism. Macron also claimed that Israel’s military operations against Hamas would not bring security. 

 “On the contrary, these actions will only make your country more isolated, embolden those who use them as a pretext for antisemitism and endanger Jewish communities around the world,” Macron argued, failing to mention that global anti-Israel demonstrations were held already on Oct. 8, 2023, while Hamas terrorists were still slaughtering Israeli women, children and elderly inside Israeli communities. 

Macron concluded by claiming that France is Israel’s friend.

“France cannot resign itself to see a friend like Israel descend into a spiral of violence … turning its back on the opportunity provided by history today.”

Earlier this week, France summoned the U.S. Ambassador to Paris Charles Kushner after he publicly criticized the French government for not doing enough to combat antisemitism. 

"Public statements haranguing Israel and gestures toward recognition of a Palestinian state embolden extremists, fuel violence, and endanger Jewish life in France. In today's world, anti-Zionism is antisemitism – plain and simple," Kushner stated. 

France, which frequently criticizes U.S. and Israeli policies, rejected the U.S. envoy’s criticism. 

"The Ambassador's allegations are unacceptable," the French foreign ministry claimed. 

Meanwhile, there are conflicting reports concerning a recent Israeli strike on a hospital in Gaza. Hamas, which frequently operates in hospitals and schools, claimed that several “journalists” had been killed in the strike. Netanyahu quickly announced that Israel “deeply regrets tragic mishap” at the Gaza hospital. 

The German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday said he did not believe that Israel deliberately targeted journalists in the strike that reportedly claimed 20 lives. There are no independent sources that can confirm the number of fatalities or how many of the fatalities were armed combatants versus civilians. 

"But the Israeli army and the Israeli government have both promised to launch a comprehensive investigation into this incident," Merz stated at a press conference in Berlin.

"And I would like to wait for the results of this investigation before making a final judgment."