All Eyes On Starmer After Macron Confirms France Will Recognise Palestine State

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, and French President Emmanuel Macron. Will France's decision over Palestine sway the UK PM?Emmanuel Macron has declared that France will officially recognise Palestine as a state this autumn amid Gaza’sdeepening humanitarian crisis.The French president announced overnight that his country would become the first G7 nation to take this major diplomatic step, adding that he hoped it would help bring peace.Macron said in a statement on X that he will make the formal recognition at the UN General Assembly next September.He said: “True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognise the state of Palestine.“I will make this solemn announcement at the United Nations General Assembly next September.”The decision will undoubtedly put further pressure on his close ally, the UK prime minister Keir Starmer, to follow suit.It was a Labour manifesto commitment to recognise Palestine as a state, but cabinet minister Peter Kyle said this morning that the UK will not offer a timescale, instead waiting until Palestinian sovereignty can be “exercised at the moment of attaining statehood”.'Is the UK government going to follow suit?'Technology Secretary was questioned on #BBCBreakfast after France said it will officially recognise a Palestinian state later this yearhttps://t.co/FZM6uGYNv0pic.twitter.com/DqWHOvGf7Z— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) July 25, 2025France is home to Europe’s largest Jewish and Muslim communities. As an Israeli ally, Macron’s decision will add weight to the body of smaller nations who have already criticised Israel over its war in Gaza.Unsurprisingly, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed France’s announcement, saying the move “rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy”.He said: “A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel, not to live in peace beside it. Let’s be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel.”Netanyahu’s defence minister Israel Katz also said it was a “disgrace and a surrunder to terrorism”, while claiming Israel would not permit a “Palestinian entity that would harm our security [and] endanger our existence”.Similarly, the US secretary of state Marco Rubio said the US “strongly rejects” Macron’s plan, adding: “This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th.”Macron’s decision not to formally announce Palestinian statehood until September will give France time and space to set up a framework for other countries to copy him.Shortly before the French president’s statement, Starmer announced he would be holding an emergency call with Macron and the German chancellor Frederich Merz on Friday to “discuss what we can do urgently to stop the kill”.“We all agree on the pressing need for Israel to change course and allow the aid that is desperately needed to enter Gaza without delay,” Starmer said.He hinted that the UK is considering recognising a Palestinian state, too, while calling Israel’s action’s “indefensible”.“The suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible. While the situation has been grave for some time, it has reached new depths and continues to worsen. We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe,” Starmer said. “It is hard to see a hopeful future in such dark times. But I must reiterate my call for all sides to engage in good faith, and at pace, to bring about an immediate ceasefire and for Hamas to unconditionally release all hostages. We strongly support the efforts of the US, Qatar and Egypt to secure this.“We are clear that statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people. A ceasefire will put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution which guarantees peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis.”His remarks came shortly before the Foreign Affairs Committee, made up of 11 cross-bench MPs, called on him to take more action in Gaza – while accusing the UK of acting “too little, too late” on the crisis for years.But, according to one of the committee members John Whittingdale, the only issue they were split on was whether recognition of a Palestinian state now would help bring about peace.Related...'Too Little, Too Late': MPs Attack Government For Slow Response To Gaza CrisisChildren In Gaza Are Starving. Talking Is Not Enough.'Shames Us All': Keir Starmer Is Now Facing Pressure Across Political Spectrum To Act On Gaza

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