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Less than three weeks after Emmanuel Macron announced his intention to recognize Palestine, Israel and the United States are increasingly adding obstacles to the French diplomatic initiative...
We are less than three weeks away from the fateful date of September 22. That is when France will announce that it officially recognizes the State of Palestine. This will take place at the United Nations headquarters in New York, and French President Emmanuel Macron will co-chair a conference on the "two-state" solution with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
As this deadline approaches, tensions continue to rise between Israel and France, amid a broader global diplomatic stalemate that reflects the real war taking place on the ground, as the Israeli offensive in Gaza City begins.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Macron this week of trying to “undermine stability” in the Middle East through his “dangerous” actions. The Israeli government is considering possible retaliatory measures, ranging from closing the French Consulate General in Jerusalem to annexing all or part of the West Bank.
Other countries have also announced their intention to recognize Palestine, but Israeli attacks have focused mainly on France, due to its leading role in the issue and its status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
UN Affairs
The US, which strongly supports Israel, refused to grant visas to Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian delegation that was supposed to attend the UN General Assembly in New York. Normally, this is a formality, even for America's worst opponents: Even Yasser Arafat, at a time when he was considered a terrorist by Washington, was able to address the General Assembly. The US decision also shocked Donald Trump's Saudi friends.
The commitment to recognizing Palestine carries weight at a crucial moment.
Moreover, the threat of annexation discussed within the Israeli government prompted a warning from the United Arab Emirates, one of the signatories of the "Abraham Accords" that recognizes Israel: annexation is a "red line" for the Emirates, said Abu Dhabi, which has remained quite discreet so far in the face of Israel's radical war in Gaza.
Those who said France's decision to recognize the Palestinian state was insignificant were wrong: this fury shows that, even if symbolic, commitment carries weight at a crucial moment.
The fact that Western states such as France, possibly the United Kingdom (which has yet to confirm its decision), Belgium and Australia are taking this step demonstrates the blatant illegality of any plan to expel Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
A working document leaked to the American press a few days ago showed that the Trump administration was continuing to work on this idea of emptying Gaza of its inhabitants, which is a war crime under international law.
Today, Israel has a government with strong messianic overtones that sees a historic opportunity to build a "Greater Israel," which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself mentioned just last month. It is therefore working to delegitimize all those who oppose this plan, calling them collaborators with Hamas, even though France and its Arab partners have clearly ruled out the Islamist organization's involvement in post-war Gaza.
Thus, from now until September 22, the pressure and maneuvers will multiply, in direct proportion to the risks that exist./Adapted from "Pamphlet" by "WorldCrunch"
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