(Zero Hedge)—France this week became the largest European nation, and the first G7 country, to recognize a Palestinian state, a move strongly condemned by Israel – and which has also angered Washington
President Donald Trump in Friday comments to the press dismissed French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement that he would recognize a Palestinian state, saying it would have no ultimate or real impact.
“The good news is, what he says doesn’t matter. It won’t change anything,” Trump told reporters on the White House lawn. “He’s a good guy. I like him, but that statement carries no weight.”
Trump went on to describe Macron as “a different kind of guy” but still “a team player.” Macron signaled that he plans to make the recognition official at the United Nations General Assembly in September.
France’s decision was announced in a letter sent to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas by Macron. “True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine,” Macron wrote in the letter, which was subsequently published to the public.
Other major European powers like Germany have indicated they do not plan to follow France in similar recognition.
Also, the UK has also not formally recognized a Palestinian state, though Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently raised eyebrows by calling Palestinian statehood “the inalienable right of the Palestinian people.”
Still, Britain does not typically stray too far from the United States when it comes to issues of official policy toward Israel.
But what’s often called the ‘Global South’ has been pushing to given recognition, as already over 140 countries around the world have done so. This includes about a dozen smaller countries in Europe.
In 2014, Sweden became the first member of the European Union to recognize Palestine as a state, though Cyprus had done so in 1988 before it joined the EU in 2004. Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia each originally acknowledged Palestine’s statehood by virtue of their alliances with the former Soviet Union.
BREAKING: President Trump on French President Macron wanting to recognize a Palestinian state:
“Here’s the good news, what he says doesn’t matter. His statement doesn’t carry any weight.”
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) July 25, 2025
While other European states remained reticent since Sweden’s 2014 declaration, Ireland, Malta, Norway, Slovenia, and Spain each official recognized Palestinian statehood in 2024 in response to the onslaught Israel has unleashed in Gaza.
