Two French envoys quietly arrived in Israel during the night of Monday, June 2. Anne-Claire Legendre, Emmanuel Macron’s adviser for North Africa and the Middle East, and Romaric Roignan, director for the same region at the French foreign ministry, were tasked with easing tensions with Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Angered by Macron’s criticisms of the ongoing war in Gaza, the Israeli prime minister was also furious that the French president was considering recognizing the State of Palestine at a conference slated for June 18 at the United Nations headquarters in New York. In Israel, such a gesture would be seen as a reward for Hamas, responsible for the October 7 attacks.
“We are determined to recognize the State of Palestine,” the two French diplomats told the Israeli news outlet Ynet, while emphasizing that the decision would not be “unilateral.” “It is not about isolating or condemning Israel, it is about paving the way for an end to the war in Gaza,” they added. “Recognition of a Palestinian state remains on the table, but not as a product of the conference. It will remain a bilateral matter between states.”
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