United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has issued a strong rebuke of French President Emmanuel Macron’s reported plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly.
In a post shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Thursday, Secretary Rubio condemned the French initiative, describing it as a “reckless decision” that, in his words, “only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace.”
“It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th,” Rubio wrote, following the deadly attacks carried out by Hamas militants last year that claimed hundreds of Israeli lives and reignited tensions in the Middle East.
The statement signals growing tensions between two longstanding allies as the United States and France appear to diverge sharply on the path forward for Israeli-Palestinian relations. President Macron has in recent weeks pushed for broader international recognition of a Palestinian state as part of a renewed push for a two-state solution — a move that has drawn support from some European and Arab countries but has faced strong opposition from Israel and now, officially, the United States.
Rubio’s remarks underline the Biden administration’s continued policy of supporting Israel’s right to self-defense and its emphasis on negotiated solutions rather than unilateral diplomatic moves.
While France has not yet formally tabled a resolution at the UN, reports suggest President Macron is seeking to rally support ahead of the September General Assembly session. If successful, it would mark one of the most significant diplomatic recognitions of Palestinian statehood in recent years.
The U.S., however, maintains that any recognition of Palestinian statehood must come through direct negotiations with Israel and not through international declarations.
Secretary Rubio’s comments are expected to deepen transatlantic diplomatic discussions in the days ahead, as global leaders weigh the implications of Macron’s initiative amid continued instability in Gaza and the West Bank.
Credit: @SecRubio via x.com.
Leave a Reply