French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement that France will officially recognize the State of Palestine in September has sparked sharp criticism from Israel, which described the move as a “disgrace and surrender to terrorism,” according to Israeli statements.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that Macron’s intention to recognize the Palestinian state is “a disgrace and a surrender to terrorism—a reward and encouragement to the killers and rapists of Hamas who committed the most horrific massacre against the Jewish people since the Holocaust.
Gallant added via his account on the platform "X" that “instead of standing with Israel during this test, the French president is working to weaken it.
He stressed, “We will not allow the establishment of a Palestinian entity that threatens our security, endangers our existence, and undermines our historical right to the land of Israel,” adding, “We are all united to prevent this danger.
In the same context, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich commented on Macron’s announcement with a post on “X,” saying, “I thank President Macron for his decision, which provides us with justification to finally apply sovereignty and bury the idea of establishing an Arab terrorist state in the heart of Israel in the trash heap of history,” according to his expression.
He added, “This will be the appropriate Zionist response to Macron and his partners’ unilateral and coercive attempts.
President Macron had announced on Thursday his intention to declare France’s official recognition of the State of Palestine during the upcoming UN General Assembly meetings in September.