France has formally recognized a Palestinian state, becoming the latest in a wave of countries to take the step, while Greece holds back recognition, saying it should come “at the end of the political process and under the auspices of the UN.”
Speaking at the UN in New York, President Emmanuel Macron said “the time for peace has come” and that “nothing justifies the ongoing war in Gaza“.
The French leader told the conference that the time had come to stop the war and free the remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas. He warned against the “peril of endless wars” and said “right must always prevail over might”.
The international community had failed to build a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, he said, adding that “we must do everything in our power to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution” that would see “Israel and Palestine side by side in peace and security”.
Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, Andorra and San Marino are also due to recognise a Palestinian state, after the UK, Canada, Australia and Portugal announced recognition on Sunday.
Greece: “The issue is timing”
International pressure is ramping up on Israel over the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza and settlement building in the West Bank.
Israel has said recognition would reward Hamas for the Palestinian armed group’s 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.
The Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis pointed out that the solution is the establishment of a Palestinian state on the pre-1967 borders.
He added, however, that “the issue is timing,” with Greece believing that recognition should come “at the end of the political process and under the auspices of the UN.”
Gerapetritis emphasized Greece’s active role in the international conference on the two-state solution, convened by France and Saudi Arabia. He reiterated that Greece has a “clear and expressed position,” citing humanitarian aid to Gaza and support for the Palestinian Authority as examples of the country’s contribution.
