Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday fiercely criticised French President Emmanuel Macron for his remarks supporting the recognition of a Palestinian state, calling the French leader “gravely mistaken.”
In a statement released on Sunday, April 13, 2025, Netanyahu said, “President Macron is gravely mistaken in continuing to promote the idea of a Palestinian state in the heart of our land—a state whose sole aspiration is the destruction of Israel.”
The response followed Macron’s comments earlier in the week, in which he suggested France could formally recognise a Palestinian state within months.
Speaking to France 5, the French president said the move could be announced during a UN conference in New York in June and hoped it would lead to reciprocal recognition of Israel by Arab nations.
Netanyahu invoked the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, stating, “To this day, not a single figure in Hamas or the Palestinian Authority has condemned the horrors of the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.”
He accused Macron of hypocrisy, saying, “We will not endanger our existence over illusions detached from reality, and we will not accept moral lectures about establishing a Palestinian state that would threaten Israel’s survival—especially not from those who oppose granting independence to Corsica, New Caledonia, French Guiana, and other territories, whose independence would pose no threat to France whatsoever.”
His son, Yair Netanyahu, echoed the anger in a post on X, writing in English, “Screw you!” and calling for independence for several French territories, though he appeared to confuse French Guiana with the African country of Guinea.
Following backlash from right-wing groups in France, Macron appeared to clarify his position on Friday. In a post on X, he reiterated his support for a two-state solution: “I support the legitimate right of Palestinians to a state and peace, just as I support the right of Israelis to live in peace and security, both recognised by their neighbours.”
He added, “I am doing everything I can with our partners to reach this goal of peace. We truly need it.”
France has long backed a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, formal recognition of a Palestinian state would represent a major policy shift and could further strain already deteriorating relations between Paris and Tel Aviv.
While nearly 150 countries recognise a Palestinian state, France has so far stopped short of doing so. Recent moves by European nations, including Ireland, Norway, Spain, and Slovenia, to formally recognise Palestinian statehood have heightened pressure on other countries to follow suit. These decisions were partly prompted by international outrage over Israel’s military actions in Gaza following the October 7 attacks.
Macron’s comments were welcomed by Hamas, although such endorsements are likely to deepen Israeli opposition to any formal recognition.
