“We’ve gathered here because the time has come,” Mr Macron said at the UN General Assembly in New York.
World leaders and international diplomats broke into applause during President Emmanuel Macron’s speech to the high level meeting last night, as he announced France would recognise Palestinian statehood.
“We’ve gathered here because the time has come,” Mr Macron said at the UN General Assembly in New York.
“The time has come to free the 48 hostages detained by Hamas. The time has come to stop war, the bombing in Gaza, the massacres and the fleeing people.
“The time has come because it is a pressing urgency everywhere. The time for peace has come because we’re just a few moments away from being able to seize peace.”
He went on: “We must do everything within our power to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution. Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security.
“The time has come. This is why, true to the historic commitment of my country to the Middle East, to peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians, this is why I declare that France recognises the state of Palestine.”
Mr Macron said he would open a French embassy to Palestine once all Israeli hostages have been released by terror group Hamas.
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And he told Israel that France, and other European partners, would going forward be “pegging” support for Israel to the “measures Israel will be taking to put an end to the war and negotiate peace.”
He added: “It’s thanks to this path that we will get a state of Palestine that is sovereign, independent and demilitarised. Bringing together all of its territories, recognising Israel and being recognised by Israel.”
Earlier, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper urged Benjamin Netanyahu not to annex more of the West Bank as Israel’s PM vowed retaliation for a push to recognise Palestinian Statehood.
The UK joined Canada and Australia in recognising Palestinian statehood on Sunday – something already declared by more than 140 nations worldwide.
The Foreign Secretary insisted the decision to recognise Palestine was aimed at increasing security by keeping the prospect of a two-state solution alive.
But Mr Netanyahu, also at the UN today, responded angrily ahead of a second round of recognitions expected at the General Assembly today.
“A Palestinian state will not be established,” Mr Netanyahu said in a statement. “The response to the latest attempt to impose on us a terror state in the heart of our land will be given after my return from the United States.”
The statement went on: “I have a clear message to those leaders who recognise a Palestinian state after the horrific massacre of October 7: You are granting a huge reward to terror. And I have another message for you: It will not happen. There will not be a Palestinian state west of the Jordan.”
In response to concerns Israel could respond by speeding up settlement of the West Bank, part of the occupied territory which would form a Palestinian state, Ms Cooper said: “We have been clear, and I have been clear to the Israeli foreign minister, we have been clear to the Israeli government, that they must not do that.”
