France Clarifies: Our Recognition of Palestine Shows Hamas Is Wrong

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot responded to critics, stating that France’s decision to recognize the State of Palestine proves that Hamas “is wrong.”

Speaking on Friday, Barrot said, “France’s recognition of the State of Palestine is not a reward for Hamas, as critics suggest, but rather a clear message that the Palestinian movement is mistaken.”

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Posting on X, he wrote, “Hamas has consistently rejected the two-state solution… By recognizing Palestine, France is saying this terrorist movement is wrong. It is siding with the peace camp against the camp of war.”

On Thursday evening, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will officially recognize the State of Palestine during the United Nations General Assembly in New York next September.

In a message addressed to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Macron stated that France “will rally all international partners willing to join the initiative.”

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Israel’s Reaction

Israel swiftly condemned the decision, accusing it of “rewarding terrorism,” referring to the unprecedented Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Israel called France’s recognition a “disgraceful stain in its history.”

The Hamas assault resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official data.

In response, Israel launched a war in the Gaza Strip, killing 59,587 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to the latest figures from the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, which the United Nations considers reliable.

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Of the 251 hostages taken during the attack, 49 remain in captivity, including 27 whom Israel has declared dead.

To date, at least 142 countries have recognized the State of Palestine, according to AFP, while the United States and Israel remain staunchly opposed to this initiative.

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