ALBAWABA - French President Emmanuel Macron came under heavy fire from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday over France's declared plan to recognize a Palestinian state within the next few months.
Netanyahu responded firmly, saying that the establishment of a Palestinian state “in the heart of our homeland” is intolerable and that it would directly threaten Israel's survival. He condemned what he called "dangerous illusions detached from reality" and called Macron "deeply mistaken."
By saying that nations like France shouldn't support Palestinian independence while opposing independence movements in areas like Corsica and New Caledonia, Netanyahu also drew attention to what he saw as double standards.
The statements are in line with what Macron recently said in an interview with France 5 during a two-day visit to Egypt. During an international peace conference on the two-state solution that France and Saudi Arabia are co-hosting in June, Macron hinted that France would legally recognize a Palestinian state in the upcoming months.
With his support for restarting efforts toward a negotiated two-state solution, Macron stated, "We must move towards recognition [of Palestine], and we may reach that within the coming months."
In the face of continuing violence in Gaza and mounting worldwide calls for a political settlement, the growing diplomatic tension draws attention to the larger international discussion about the future of the Israeli-Palestinian issue.
