Middle East: What does Macron’s move to Palestine mean?

With the announcement of recognizing a Palestinian state, France is the first western great power and the first G7 member of such an advance. French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the recognition in September before the United Nations General Assembly in New York. What goals does he pursue with his initiative and what consequences would this have for the international community?

What does Macron want to achieve with his advance?

A few months ago, Macron had given the prospect of Palestine’s recognition and caused a lot of sensation. He was deeply affected by the humanitarian location in the Gaza Strip during a visit to the region. In the meantime, the situation for the civilian population in the Gaza Strip has become even more catastrophic and desperate.

With Palestine’s recognition, Macron is now focusing on his own diplomatic pressure. At the same time, he underlines France’s claim to a leadership role in international diplomacy.

“France wants to pave the way for other G7 powers such as the United Kingdom,” said the Middle East expert from the French Institute for International Relations, Amélie Férey, the news magazine “L’Express”. The moral leadership role of the United States was weakened and France wanted to defend basic principles of the West in order not to be subject to the accusation of measuring two levels in international conflicts.

According to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Macron is primarily concerned with the implementation of the two -state solution, with which peace and security in the region are to be created after France’s idea. Two -state solution means that Israel and an independent Palestinian state exist peacefully by side.

In a few days there will be an international conference in New York, chaired by France and Saudi Arabia. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot will encourage France’s partner there to join the decision to recognize Palestine.

The French investigative medium “Médapart” ordered Macron’s explanation as “Plan B” because his attempt to attempt a joint advancement with other heads of state, such as from Canada and Great Britain, was not yet successful. “Now the others have two months to position themselves,” said “Médapart” a diplomatic source.

How does the federal government react?

It does not join the advance. In addition to the United States, Germany is the closest allied Israel. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has criticized the Netanyahu government for the military procedure in the Gaza strip, but has so far been against measures such as an arms export stop, freezing the EU association agreement or the recognition of a state of Palestinian. Germany is on the negotiating route for a two -state solution. A recognition of a Palestinian state is therefore only an option when Israel and the Palestinians have agreed – which currently seems more hopeless than ever.

Germany feels particularly committed to the right to exist in Israel against the background of the Holocaust. At the same time, however, it acknowledges that the Palestinians claim their own state based on the right of self -determination of the peoples in the United Nations Charter.

Why is Israel rejects Macron’s plan so vehemently?

The right-religious government, but also opposition leader Jair Lapid, decidedly reject Macron’s push. They see it a “reward” for Hamas terror. According to their representation, a large part of the Palestinians supports Hamas – and therefore did not “deserve” its own state.

Why are both Israel and Hamas against a two -state solution?

Israel’s government is against the two-state solution because it prevails in it that the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem should be due to historical and religious reasons and should be inhabited by Jews.

In the event of non -religious Israelis, security concerns predominate: a Palestinian state that begins in the middle of Jerusalem and reaches quite close to the metropolises Tel Aviv and Haifa in some places is considered an unacceptable military risk.

Hamas also rejects a two -state solution. In the long term, it claims the entire historical Palestine – including today’s territory of Israel – for a future Palestinian state. In a basic paper from 2017, she accepts a Palestinian state within the borders of 1967 – that is, consisting of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem – as “intermediate step”, but also does not explicitly recognize Israel’s right to exist.

How has a two -state solution failed so far?

Peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians have so far failed because there was no agreement on the course of the border, the future status of Jerusalem, the fate of refugees from past wars and displacements as well as the future of Israeli settlements in the Palestinian areas. The most important issues include Israel’s security and dealing with natural reserves such as water.

What can be expected on the subject of the United Nations and the General Batte of the UN General Assembly in September?

Gaza becomes foreseeable one of the main topics at the annual meeting of the heads of state and government at the United Nations at the end of September. There, Palestine’s recognition is also likely to sustainhip through France: “I think Macron’s move will make other heads of state and government, especially in Europe, to ask themselves whether they should also recognize Palestine,” says Richard Gowan, UN expert at the Crisis Group.

Under diplomats on New York East River, the opinion has so far been the opinion that Macron will not take the risk due to the foreseeable trouble with Washington. “Now that he has spoken out, it is more difficult for other non -appreciative states to hold back on this question. I think Macron sometimes runs gesture policy on the world stage, but this announcement will force other countries to rethink their positions,” said Gowan. Similar announcements, especially from European countries, can occur in the general debate of the UN General Assembly. However, it should be crucial for many how Great Britain reacts.

Which states have already recognized Palestine, which will soon plan to do this?

Many EU countries, especially in Eastern and Southeast Europe, recognized Palestine a long time ago. For example, the very Israel -friendly Hungary Palestine recognized in 1988. Against the background of the Gaza War, the EU countries Spain, Ireland and Slovenia recognized the state of Palestine last year. In addition to France, Malta has also announced recognition.

What makes an area a state?

Legally, a state is defined by three elements: state people, state territory and state authority. The 1933 international law Montevideo Convention also takes up these criteria. Accordingly, a state must have a constant population, a territory, a government and the ability to relationship with other countries. However, recognition by other states is not necessary.

To what extent the Palestinian areas meet these criteria has been controversial for a long time. In addition, the Palestinian Authority based in Ramallah, which performs a number of sovereign tasks, has not control over the Gaza Strip since 2007.