France, Western Allies Urge Global Recognition of Palestinian State
Fifteen nations back two-state solution at New York summit; Paris and London poised to become first G7 countries to formally recognize Palestine
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — France and 14 other Western nations on Tuesday called on countries around the world to recognize a Palestinian state, in a unified push to revive the long-stalled two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, according to AFP.
The call came in a joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of 15 countries following a high-level conference in New York, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia. The meeting aimed to build diplomatic momentum to end the war in Gaza and secure lasting peace through the establishment of two sovereign states.
"In New York, together with 14 other countries, France is issuing a collective appeal: we express our desire to recognise the State of Palestine and invite those who have not yet done so to join us," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The statement reaffirmed the group’s “unwavering commitment to the vision of the two-state solution,” and called on other nations to follow suit in recognizing Palestinian statehood.
French President Emmanuel Macron had already announced last week that France would formally recognize the State of Palestine at the U.N. General Assembly in September, a move that sparked backlash from both Israel and the United States. Britain followed suit, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer declaring that the UK would do the same in September—unless Israel takes “substantive steps,” including agreeing to a Gaza ceasefire.
If carried out, the recognition by France and the UK would make them the first G7 countries to take this step.
Among the 15 countries that signed the joint statement were Spain, Norway, and Finland. Nine signatories—including Australia, Canada, and New Zealand—have not yet officially recognized the Palestinian state but expressed either “the willingness or the positive consideration” to do so.
Separately, 17 countries, along with the European Union and the Arab League, joined a call during the same conference for Hamas to disarm and relinquish control of Gaza—steps seen as crucial for ending the ongoing war and advancing toward a negotiated peace.
