Palestine recognition: French Foreign Minister announces appeal at UN meeting in New York

Paris. At an international conference on a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict in New York on Monday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot expects the first condemnation of the Islamist Hamas by Arab states. This will seal Hamas's final isolation, Barrot said in an interview with the French newspaper "La Tribune."

France is co-chairing the meeting on Monday and Tuesday in New York with Saudi Arabia. The terrorist organization Hamas seized de facto power in the Gaza Strip in 2007. Following the Hamas attack on Israel and the massacres of civilians on October 7, 2023, Israel's army began a military operation aimed at crushing the organization.

Barrot further stated that European countries in New York will, in return, reaffirm their intention to recognize Palestine as a state. "Half of the European countries have already done so. All the others are considering it," the minister said confidently.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday that France would become the first G7 country to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September. Britain and Germany initially declined to follow suit.

"We will launch an appeal in New York to encourage other countries to join us," France's foreign minister announced. Against the backdrop of the Gaza war, the EU countries Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia recognized the State of Palestine last year. In addition to France, Malta also plans to recognize it.

The UN conference on the two-state solution in New York was originally scheduled to take place at the end of June, but was postponed due to the conflict between Israel and Iran. It was also downgraded to a ministerial meeting, even though Macron had previously announced his attendance.

RND/dpa