Recognition of Palestine: Emmanuel Macron Demands the Release of Hostages to Open an Embassy

DIPLOMACY: As France prepares to recognize the Palestinian state, President Macron insisted on the need to release the hostages held by Hamas since 7th October 2023.

France will not open an embassy in Palestine without it release of hostages held by Hamas, declared Emmanuel Macron during an interview broadcast on the American channel CBS. Their release “is a clear condition before we open an embassy”, the French president declared in English.

France has a consulate general in Jerusalem, which ensures its representation to the Palestinian Authority. The French Embassy in Israel is located in Tel Aviv. France must officially recognize the Palestinian state, with a ten other countries, during a summit Monday at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Peace process

This condition is the first in a series of prerequisites that we will defend within the peace process. But on the 22nd (September) we will announce this recognition of a Palestinian state “, replied the French president in a rare exclusive interview with an American channel. Even before this summit, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia officially recognized the

Palestinian state on Sunday.

Emmanuel Macron, who says he wants to “isolate” Hamas, attacks the conduct of israeli operations in Gaza. What is happening is that, de facto, there are a lot of civilians being killed, and the plan is to displace people. So I think it’s a big mistake”, he told CBS on Thursday. He also denounced the “madness” of a possible plan which would aim to evacuate all Palestinians from the Gaza Strip before the reconstruction of the Palestinian territory.

“Unacceptable position”

The French president also denounced the “error” of the American ambassador to France, Charles Kushner, father of Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who had expressed in August “his deep concern about the outbreak of anti-Semitism in France and the lack of sufficient action by (his) government to combat it. “This is an error and an unacceptable position for someone who is supposed to be a diplomat”, said Emmanuel Macron.