Middle East: France recognizes Palestinian statehood

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday welcomed the moves by several countries to recognize a Palestinian state.

"We must recommit ourselves to the two-state solution before it is too late," he said. "Let's be clear: Statehood for the Palestinians is a right, not a reward."

Speaking at a New York conference on the Middle East convened by France and Saudi Arabia, Guterres said denying statehood would fuel extremism and warned that without a two-state solution "there will be no peace in the Middle East."

The UN chief repeated his condemnation of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, but stressed that collective punishment of Palestinians was unjustifiable.

He urged for an immediate Gaza ceasefire, the release of all hostages and unrestricted humanitarian access to the enclave.

The United States and Israel have suggested that recognizing Palestinian statehood would constitute a "reward" for the October 7, 2023 attacks.

Guterres also criticized Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, calling it a "creeping threat of annexation" amid rising settler violence.

The UN chief also voiced disappointment that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had been denied a US visa to attend the meeting.

The Palestinian Authority celebrated France's formal recognition of a Palestinian state.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates welcomes the recognition of the state of Palestine by the friendly Republic of France, considering it a historic and courageous decision that is consistent with international law and United Nations resolutions and supports ongoing efforts to achieve peace and implement the two-state solution," the PA's foreign ministry in Ramallah said in a statement. 

The Palestinian Authority had also thanked Canada, the UK, Portugal and other Western nations who had similarly recognized Palestinian statehood.

"We call on those who have not yet done so to follow suit," Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said via video link, as he was unable to attend the milestone events after being refused a US visa by the Trump administration.

The Palestinian Authority is based in Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. It runs an autonomous administration in parts of the territory and has also been involved in diplomatic efforts toward international recognition of Palestinian statehood.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. Regarding Palestinian statehood, he reiterated Germany's position in favor of a process leading to a two-state solution, but against recognizing a Palestinian state at this time. DW has more.

US President Donald Trump believes the recognition of a Palestinian state by Western nations means effectively rewarding militant group Hamas for its attack on Israel.

Trump's position echoes that of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who strongly condemned the announcements by the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia on Sunday.

"Frankly, he believes it's a reward to Hamas. So he believes these decisions are just more talk and not enough action from some of our friends and allies," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told a briefing.

Trump is to deliver the first speech of his second term to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, where he is expected to address the contentious topic.

"The president will also touch upon how globalist institutions have significantly decayed the world order, and he will articulate his straightforward and constructive vision for the world," she said.

Trump will hold a "multilateral meeting" with the leaders of key Muslim countries at the UN assembly, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, Leavitt told the briefing.

President Emmanuel Macron has announced France's formal recognition of Palestinian statehood, saying he supported "peace between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples."

Macron was addressing the opening of the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday.

"The time for peace has come, as we are just moments away from no longer being able to seize it," the French president told the summit.

"The time has come to free the 48 hostages held by Hamas. The time has come to stop the war, the bombings of Gaza, the massacres and the displacement," Macron added.

The release of hostages taken by Hamas during its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel will be a precondition for opening a French embassy to the Palestinian state, Macron elaborated.

France's recognition of the state of Palestine comes a day after the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Portugal made the same move.

Israel has been facing mounting international pressure over the war in Gaza.

Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, touched down in New York to attend the UN General Assembly (UNGA). 

Al-Sharaa is set to become the first Syrian leader since 1967 to attend meetings at the UN.

At an event on the sidelines of the UNGA, he expressed hope for a security deal by the end of the year that would ease regional tensions.

"I hope that that will lead us to an agreement that will keep the sovereignty of Syria and also resolve some of the security fears of Israel," Sharaa told the Concordia Annual Summit.

But he dismissed the idea that Syria would join the US-brokered Abraham Accords, which saw the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco normalize relations with Israel in 2020, pointing out that "Syria is different to those" countries as they don't border Israel.

"Syria has been subjected to more than 1,000 Israeli raids, strikes and incursions from the Golan Heights into Syria," he said.

He also called on the US to lift sanctions in order to rebuild his country's economy.

"Syria has a diverse workforce. They love to work, it's in its genes," Sharaa said.

"So don't be worried," he added. "Just lift the sanctions and you will see the results."

Sharaa is also expected to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio while in New York.

Palestinian Foreign Minister, Varsen Aghabekian, says the recognition of Palestinian statehood by a growing number of Western nations will not change things on the ground immediately.

But Aghabekian said it sends a clear message to Israel that the occupation of Palestinian territories cannot continue forever.

 

 

Thousands of workers and students across Italy have joined a general strike and staged rallies in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

A number of grassroots unions called for a 24-hour strike on Monday which affected transportation, schools and ports, among others.

Read more on the nationwide action in Italy, which also led to clashes between police and protesters.

Hebron is one of the largest Palestinian cities in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. DW's Tania Krämer traveled there to ask human rights activist Issa Amro about what the recent push for a two-state solution means for the daily lives of Palestinians.

The UK, Canada and Australia have formally recognized a Palestinian state. The announcements came in the run-up to the UN General Assembly in New York, which begins Monday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the move will endanger Israel's existence and rewards Hamas terror.

DW News asked Mideast analyst Fawaz Gerges for his assessment.

Several Western countries plan to recognize Palestine as a state at the UN General Assembly which begins on Monday.

While Germany is not among them, political pressure on the federal government is growing.

DW takes a closer look at Berlin's stance and how it's being met domestically as well as internationally.

Nomi Bar-Yaacov, an international human rights lawyer from the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, told DW that the UN conference on Palestinian statehood was "momentous."

"I think it is a significant, momentous first step in a long, long process which hopefully will lead to peace," Bar-Yaacov said, adding that "a lot of mechanisms have to be put in place in order to ensure that two states will thrive as sovereign, contiguous, independent states side by side."

"So there has to be urgent action to end the war. End the war now, release the hostages and pave a path to two states," Bar-Yaacov emphasized.

On the topic of what recognition of Palestinian state would mean, Bar-Yaacov said: "it's a symbolic move, and it's a move that basically is meant to stop Israel annexing parts of the West Bank and Gaza."

She highlighted that it was extreme elements within Israel's government that were pushing for annexation, specifically Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

On Israel saying that recognition would be rewarding Hamas, Bar-Yaacov said: "It's a question of interpretation, and of course Hamas will claim it as a victory, and I think we have to be honest about that."

the human rights lawyer said it was up to Palestinians to elect their own government and that outcome would need to be respected.

France has said it will formally recognize Palestinian statehood. DW News spoke with French journalist Thibaut Madelin about why President Emmanuel Macron has decided to take the step.

The United Kingdom, Canada and Australia have become the first major Western economies to recognize a Palestinian state.

The move comes ahead of the UN General Assembly's special summit on the war in the Gaza Strip, which starts on Monday.

Several countries have said they will soon join around 150 UN members that already recognize a Palestinian state. These include France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Malta.

Most of the recent European declarations on recognizing Palestinian statehood have come as a result of Israel's ongoing military campaign in Gaza.

But can the recognition of a Palestinian state bring peace? DW spoke with experts about whether these recognitions represent more than just symbolic gestures.

The United Kingdom, Canada and Australia are the latest Western countries to formally declare their recognition of Palestinian statehood.

Britain and Canada became the first G7 countries to take the step on Sunday. France has also said it plans to follow suit at the annual UN General Assembly, as world leaders gather in New York on Monday.

But the historic moves put these countries at odds with their allies, the United States and Israel.

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to fight the Palestinian statehood initiative at the UN.