French pledge to recognise Palestine is a gamble
By: | Published: 2025-07-25 14:22:00 | Source: www.bbc.com
The announcement by President Emmanuel Macron of his intention to recognise Palestinian statehood puts huge pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to follow suit.
The French have been itching to take this step for some time.
They were planning to make an announcement some weeks ago but were forced to delay after Israel and the US attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Crucially, France is not recognising a Palestinian state now – it will do so, says Macron, at the United Nations General Assembly in September.
What the French hope is that their announcement will in the meantime generate diplomatic momentum and encourage other nations to join them.
The French president likes to make bold, dramatic plays on the international stage. But it is a gamble.
In particular, he is relying on the UK to follow his…
