Which countries may follow France in recognizing the Palestinian state?!

SadaNews Translation - On Saturday, the Hebrew newspaper Yediot Ahronot published a report regarding France's recognition of a Palestinian state based on the borders of June 4, 1967.

The report identified some steps taken in this regard, as well as the countries that may follow France and take similar action.

According to Palestinian sources cited by the Hebrew site, as translated by SadaNews, the announcement by French President Emmanuel Macron was not made in a vacuum; rather, it is a step that has matured over months of quiet negotiations and increasing pressure from both inside and outside, and a direct outcome of years of diplomatic work.

A senior Palestinian diplomatic source stated that conditions were ripe after Israel found itself mired in the Gaza quagmire, especially as the world has come to realize that the current situation is unsustainable.

According to the Hebrew report, the French decision is based on official correspondence between Macron and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. In his message, the French president confirmed that the recognition is based on a series of commitments conveyed by Abbas to Paris, including his condemnation of the October 7 attack, a commitment to implementing radical reforms in the Palestinian Authority, and holding general elections within a year under international supervision.

Jamal Nazzal, spokesperson for the Fatah movement, told the Hebrew site: "This is an ongoing effort led by the Palestinian Liberation Organization and Abu Mazen... This is not a response to a war or a result of terrorism, but a legitimate political achievement... France has made a courageous decision, and we expect other countries, such as Britain, to follow suit."

Who will be next?

Currently, Britain is not rushing to join, nor are many other countries. Yesterday, Britain issued a joint statement with France and Germany, in which the three countries called for an immediate ceasefire to end the war, reaffirming their commitment to supporting the mediation efforts made by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt. The leaders of the three countries stated in a joint statement: "The humanitarian disaster we are witnessing in Gaza must end now. We strongly oppose all efforts aimed at imposing Israeli sovereignty over the occupied territories."

The site reports that neither Germany nor Britain intends to recognize a Palestinian state, at least not in the near future, and Italy has clearly stated that it will not take a similar step.

Ofer Bronstein, Macron's advisor on Middle Eastern affairs, believes that other countries will join France. He mentioned in an interview with the Yediot Ahronot newspaper that Britain, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, and other countries have given their preliminary approval to the principle of recognizing a Palestinian state.

He added, as translated by SadaNews: "France is the first country in the G7 to recognize a Palestinian state, and we intend to include more G7 countries, such as Japan, Canada, Australia, and possibly New Zealand as well, which is not a member of this organization."

Macron's objective

The Hebrew site indicates that Macron's recognition of the Palestinian state comes amid the deteriorating internal situation for the French president. Since the parliament was dissolved in June of last year and called for early elections— a puzzling decision that no commentator has been able to explain—Macron's popularity has noticeably declined in public opinion, and his government has become a minority government, facing parliamentary insults from both left and right.

In reality, Macron is nearing the end of his presidential term while in one of his worst states, unable to lead political movements, with his main means of demonstrating his presence, effectiveness, and leadership being foreign policy. He is attempting to lead movements in Europe against Russia but does not have significant support and is suffering humiliation in Africa. He is not counted as a consideration by Trump, and it seems he believes that recognizing a Palestinian state will help him restore his standing.

The site adds: Macron cannot run for the 2027 elections because, as in the United States, a president cannot serve more than two consecutive terms. However, Macron recently hinted that he might seek to run again in the presidential elections of 2032, believing that his historic announcement will not only boost his popularity in polls but will also solidify a legacy for himself.