Macron’s recognition of Palestine a wake-up call

FRANCE’s declaration that it will recognise the state of Palestine in September marks a watershed moment in the West’s engagement with the Israel-Palestine conflict. As the first G7 country to formally do so, Paris has broken ranks with its transatlantic allies, risking ire from the US and Israel to affirm a stance that has long simmered beneath Europe’s diplomatic surface. President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement is more than symbolic. It is a rebuke of the status quo — one in which global outrage over Gaza suffering has been met with diplomatic inertia. By invoking France’s “historical commitment to peace” and the two-state solution, Macron is laying the groundwork for Europe to move from cautious condemnation to tangible positioning.