France Mulls Opening Embassy in Palestinian Authority Territories
In a dramatic diplomatic shift, French President Macron’s Middle East adviser confirms Paris is weighing the opening of a Palestinian embassy in Paris and a French embassy in Ramallah. The move follows France’s planned recognition of a Palestinian state next month — and comes amid a spiraling crisis with Israel.
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France is considering opening an embassy in the Palestinian Authority territories following its upcoming recognition of a Palestinian state, N12 has learned. Macron’s adviser for Middle East affairs, Ofer Bronstein, revealed on Thursday morning that Paris is actively exploring the step. If implemented, it would mark a historic and highly symbolic move, with the French embassy likely established in Ramallah.
According to Bronstein, recognition alone is insufficient; reciprocal embassies — a Palestinian one in Paris and a French one in the West Bank — are the logical next step. He argued that a Palestinian state would serve Israeli interests, claiming, “October 7 would not have happened if there had been a Palestinian state, because the stability it provides would have prevented the disaster.”
He also pointed to existing security cooperation between the Palestinian Authority and Israel as a precedent, stressing that “the war must stop and the hostages must come home.”
A Blow to Jerusalem–Paris Relations
The move is being weighed as relations between France and Israel sink to new lows. The recent bitter exchange of public letters between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Emmanuel Macron showcased the depth of the rift. Netanyahu accused Paris of fueling antisemitism with its recognition campaign; Macron countered, insisting France’s stance on a Palestinian state was the only way to secure Israel’s long-term peace and integration in the region.
Macron went further, declaring that the only path to truly dismantling Hamas is the creation of a Palestinian state — and warning Netanyahu against “the endless, illegal cycle of war in Gaza.”
Potential Fallout
Former Israeli ambassador to France and ex-minister Yael German called the embassy plan “a punch in the face,” while Dr. Miriam Rossman of the Deborah Forum labeled it “a step that breaks the diplomatic table.” Both warned the move could trigger Israel to recall its ambassador from Paris or shut down France’s consulate in Jerusalem, which already serves Palestinians.
Bronstein, however, brushed off Israeli threats as “ridiculous.”
As France presses forward, the embassy debate risks igniting the most severe rupture in Franco-Israeli relations since October 7.