Macron’s recognition of ‘Palestine’ is pure political desperation

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that France would formally recognize a Palestinian state in September, during a UN General Assembly. In a post published on X, Macron said:“True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine”.

The announcement was immediately welcomed by Hamas, which defined it as a “positive step in the right direction toward doing justice to our oppressed Palestinian people and supporting their legitimate right to self-determination.” The Palestinian terrorist organization encouraged other European countries to follow France’s steps and recognize “the state of Palestine”.

Macron’s push for the recognition of a Palestinian state had already faced resistance from the UK, Canada and the United States, all fully aware of the risks presented by rushed decisions. A unilateral recognition by France would not only undermine European unity and its credibility on foreign policy over a very delicate matter, but it would also create a rift with the United States.

As a matter of fact, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio slammed Macron’s announcement, calling it a “reckless decision (that) only serves Hamas propaganda” and “a slap in the face to the victims of October 7.

Through the recognition of “Palestine”, Macron is conferring legitimacy to Hamas, and encouraging further terrorist attacks and massacres because, through the greatest pogrom of Jews since the Holocaust, Hamas would be achieving an objective that no other Palestinian group has managed to. It is an incentive for Islamist terrorism to strike again, in full awareness that it can receive support from some European leaderships. Indeed, it is also an insult to the victims of the October 7^th massacre and all the victims of Islamist terrorism worldwide.

It is not difficult to understand why Macron is taking this direction: he is seeking consensus among the Arab and Muslim communities in France. According to the July IFOP/JDD barometer, Emmanuel Macron and François Bayrou form the least popular presidential duo since the Fifth Republic was established. The president has an approval rating of only 19%, while the prime minister’s rating hits a record low of just 18%.

Extremely high unemployment, the skyrocketing cost of living, the spread of crime and illegal immigration have dragged “Macronism” to an all-time low and Macron is losing further ground while the right wing is growing stronger.

It is worth recalling that in May, Macron became furious with his ministers following the leak of a report detailing the infiltration of radical Islamist movements in France. He does not want to touch the “Islamist” issue because he now needs the Islamists or, at least, he thinks he does.

Macron’s decision not only serve his personal domestic interests, but it is also short-sighted as it puts at stake the security of France and the rest of Europe. Firstly, Macron is moving against US foreign policy and interests, something that will clearly cause repercussions. As to Israel, let’s not forget that France could lose Israel’s support in sharing intelligence information crucial to counter terrorism, therefore putting at risk France’s security.

It is important to note that between 2014 and 2018, France accounted for one of the highest numbers of foreign nationals who joined the ranks of ISIS. During the same period, the country was repeatedly targeted by Islamist terrorist attacks, beginning in 2015. Macron’s decision would also be perceived by the jihadists as a sign of weakness and an attempt to placate Islamist public pressure, therefore encouraging further violent actions inside France.

Macron’s unilateral decision to recognize Palestine is a gift to Hamas, to Islamist terrorism, an insult to all the victims of Islamists, not just the Israeli ones, and a gesture that shows the full weakness of a political figure in steep decline, ready to drag France into the abyss in pursuit of personal interests.