Emanuel Macron: We Will Recognize A Palestinian State
MK Dan Ilouz accused Macron of behaving in the same way as the Vichy collaborationist regime.
French President Emanuel Macron announced today (Thursday) that his country will officially recognize a Palestinian State at the next session of the United Nations General Assembly this coming September.
Macron had originally intended to grant recognition to a Palestinian state in June, as part of a general conference of Arab and Muslim countries, but Israel's Operation Rising Lion against Iran's nuclear weapons program derailed this effort. Nevertheless, Macron promised even then that he was determined that his country recognize a Palestinian state as a means of bringing peace to the region.
Israeli MKs from the coalition and opposition were quick to condemn Macron.
MK Dan Ilouz said that France was operating along the same lines as the Vichy government, which collaborated with the Nazis during WWII, including in helping to deport Jews to death camps.
MK Avigdor Liberman called such recognition "not justice, but surrender to terrorism."
Justice Minister Yariv Levin called the decision to recognize a "fictious Palestinian state" to be a black mark in the history of French and direct aid to terrorism. The Land of Israel belongs to the Jewish People, and President Macron's statement will not change this."
Naftali Bennet, former Prime Minister and front-runner for the next election against Netanyahu, called Macron's decision "moral collapse."