France leaves open the possibility of recognizing the State of Palestine

French President Emmanuel Macron said that recognizing the state of Palestine is no longer taboo in France, implying that Paris could make a decision on this if efforts towards a two-state solution are hampered by Israeli opposition.

French President Emmanuel Macron (right) and Jordanian King Abdullah II. Photo: REUTERS

Speaking during a meeting with Jordanian King Abdullah II in Paris, Mr. Macron emphasized: “Our partners in the region, especially Jordan, are working (to recognize the State of Palestine) and we are coordinating with them. We are ready to contribute to promoting this in Europe and the United Nations Security Council.”

Mr. Macron affirmed that the solution to recognize an independent Palestinian state is to fulfill the long-standing aspirations of the Palestinian people, as well as the Israeli people and the entire unstable region. The French President also warned that Israel's military campaign in Rafah (Southern Gaza) could lead to an unprecedented humanitarian disaster and would be a turning point in this conflict.

This is the first time a French leader has left open the possibility of recognizing the State of Palestine. This action may not make a big difference on the ground without real negotiations, but is considered to have symbolic diplomatic significance. Currently, most Western European countries have not recognized the State of Palestine because they believe that this must be done through negotiations with Israel.

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that there would be no negotiation over Israel's full security control in western Jordan. This statement means opposing an independent Palestinian state on the territories within the pre-1967 war lines.

In a related development, Russia has invited representatives of all Palestinian political forces, including those in Syria, Lebanon and other Middle Eastern countries, to Moscow to attend a meeting from February 29 to March 2.

“Moscow’s goal is to help the Palestinian forces unite their ranks politically. Russia’s actions are based on the fact that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was and remains the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, which is accepted by the international community and by us,” said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy to the Middle East, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov.

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Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/phap-de-ngo-kha-nang-cong-nhan-nha-nuoc-palestine-post727048.html