NEW YORK (Press Release) – Thursday’s announcement by French President Emmanuel Macron to formally and unilaterally recognize Palestinian statehood without any preconditions at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in September comes at an extremely troubling time, with Hamas continuing to reject proposals for a ceasefire and the return of the remaining hostages.
Three months ago, the President declared that France might recognize a Palestinian state — but only under certain conditions: the release of the hostages still held in Gaza and the disarmament of Hamas.
Today, those conditions have not been met.
President Macron’s announcement follows a statement today from U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff, who said that the U.S. had decided to bring home its negotiating team from Doha after “the latest response from Hamas, which clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.”
By offering recognition without conditions — and without demanding the release of hostages or the disarmament of Hamas — France removes any incentive for compromise. It sends a dangerous message: you can get what you want through violence, without giving anything in return.
It only emboldens terror groups like Hamas by legitimizing violence and hostage-taking as viable tactics to achieve political goals. It undermines efforts by leaders across Europe and the Middle East, who are still working toward a negotiated two-state solution. France has undercut its own credibility as an honest broker — a role it has long claimed in the Middle East.
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Preceding provided by the American Jewish Committee, a global advocacy organization for the Jewish people.
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International law, as outlined in the 1933 Montevideo Convention, is well established: the necessary criteria for statehood include a permanent population, defined territory, government, and capacity to enter into relations with the other states.
The Palestinian Authority, in the areas of the West Bank which it controls, does not comply with these criteria – nor does Hamas-governed Gaza. The political division between these two groups undermines any argument that Palestinians might fulfill these established criteria in the foreseeable future.