French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne suggested that recognition of a Palestinian state would be “diplomatically beneficial.”
Ludovic Marin
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France’s foreign minister on Wednesday accused EU member states Spain and Ireland of recognising a Palestinian state as part of their “political stance” rather than seeking a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Spain, Ireland and Norway formally recognised the Palestinian state on Tuesday, provoking a strong reaction from Israel.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on the same day that he was ready to recognise a Palestinian state but that such a move should come at a “useful time” and not be based on “sentiments”.
Foreign Minister Stephane Séjourne told senators that France “supports a two-state solution” in which Israel and Palestine would live side by side peacefully.
“Obviously the issue of recognition comes into play there, but the concern that I clearly share with my colleagues in Spain and Ireland is what happens the day after recognition – how useful diplomatically is that?” he said.
“France is not taking any political stance and is seeking a diplomatic solution to this crisis,” Séjourne added.
“It is unfortunate that some European countries are putting political positions first in their campaigns for the European Parliament elections, but this does not solve anything.”
European Parliament elections are due to take place next week.
“Tell me, what specifically changed in Gaza the day after the Spanish approval? Nothing changes!” the foreign minister said.
The recent Gaza conflict began with an unprecedented attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on southern Israel on October 7 that killed 1,189 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
The militants also took 252 hostages, of which 121 remain in the Gaza Strip, and the Israeli military said 37 were killed.
The health ministry in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip said Israel’s retaliatory strikes had killed at least 36,171 people, most of them civilians.
The Israeli military says 292 soldiers have been killed in military operations in Gaza since the ground offensive began on October 27.
