That same day, Spain, Ireland, and Norway all announced that they had formally recognized Palestinian statehood. No western global power has followed suit, at least not yet.
"I am totally prepared to recognise a Palestinian state, but this recognition must come at a useful moment," Macron said during a visit to Germany, per RFI, adding, "I will not do a recognition based on emotion."
Debate over whether such a decision should be made has been fierce both on the streets of France and in parliament. During a discussion on Tuesday, far-left populist La France Insoumise party member Sebastian Delogu stood up and raised a Palestinian flag over his head.
The move was not well received by Parliament Speaker Yael Braun-Pivet, who condemned his behaviour and deemed it unacceptable. Lawmakers held a vote and decided to suspend Delogu for two weeks and slash his parliamentary salary by half for the next two months. The Marseillais politician left the room holding up a v sign with his fingers, symbolizing victory, while his right-wing colleagues cheered.
This is not the first time Macron has signalled that recognition of Palestinian statehood was on the table for France. Earlier this year, he said it shouldn't be thought of as "taboo" to see the Palestinian people as a political entity.
As CNN reports, Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris jusified his nation's decision to recognize Palestinian statehood by suggesting it was essential "to keep the miracle of peace alive." He and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide both called on Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring an end to the war, with the latter urging the international community to "increase its political and economic support for Palestine and continue to work for a two-state solution."
