France: Wrong Again

Macron’s recognition of a Palestinian ‘state’ not only hurts chances for peace, but poses a major challenge to Trump.

You can always count on the French to be on the wrong side of history. Months after French President Emmanuel Macron said France would recognize a Palestinian state, he added that such recognition was the best way to isolate Hamas, the terrorist organization that began the war in Gaza by killing about 1,200 Israelis and taking over 250 hostages on October 7, 2023. The president should, at least, condemn their recognition of the Palestinian “state” as a fiction that aids Hamas. Australia, Belgium, Canada, and Luxembourg have joined France, as has the United Kingdom, in saying they would recognize a Palestinian “state” at the UN meeting next week. The UK already has done so. Portugal announced the same intention last week. So will Andorra, Malta, and San Marino (not that anyone will notice). All of these countries are joining in what is a major diplomatic challenge — and an insult — to President Trump. But will he do anything about it? About three quarters of the members of the United Nations already recognize a Palestinian “state” which is, of course, a nation without borders, laws, or anything else that makes a nation. But let’s get back to France. President Donald Trump has said that Macron’s announced plan will have no effect. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced shortly after that statement that the Palestinian representatives — including Mahmood Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority — will be denied visas to the U.S. That will have the effect of denying Macron his smiling photos with the Palestinian “leaders” when the UN meets for its “High Level General Debate” from 23-29 September. The problem with this proposed recognition of a Palestinian “state” is what inevitably follows from it. Ghazi Hamad, a senior member of the Hamas politburo, said on August 3rd that, “The fruits of October 7 are what caused the entire world to open its eyes to the Palestinian issue — and they are moving toward it with force. That is, that the Palestinian people are a peop...