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By Shane Croucher
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French far-right leader Marine Le Pen accused French President Emmanuel Macron of legitimizing the October 7 attack by Hamas with his decision to recognize a Palestinian state.
Macron shared a statement on Thursday, July 24, saying that he had "decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine," and that he would make a formal announcement before the United Nations General Assembly in September.
"To recognize a Palestinian state today is to recognize a Hamas state, and therefore a terrorist state," Le Pen said on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday.
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Macron's move brings to a head months of increasing French criticism of Israel's conduct in its war against Hamas—the Islamist militant group that rules Gaza—that was sparked by the October 7, 2023, massacre of civilians in Israel.
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It also comes amid a wave of nations moving to recognize Palestinian statehood. France will be the first G7 nation to do so.
Of the 193 U.N. member states, approximately 147 currently recognize the State of Palestine, which was granted non-member observer status at the U.N. in 2012. Israel, which is a full member of the U.N., is currently recognized by around 165 U.N. member states.
What Marine Le Pen Said
"To recognize a Palestinian state today is to recognize a Hamas state, and therefore a terrorist state," Le Pen, who leads the National Rally in the French National Assembly, posted to X on Friday morning, originally in French.
"There is, in this gesture, no fidelity to the history of France—quite the opposite—and even less a guarantee of peace for Israel."
Le Pen was set to run for the presidency once again in the 2027 election, and polling suggests she is the front-runner.
But Le Pen was barred from standing by a French court in a case related to her party's finances. She denies any wrongdoing and is appealing the ban.
"While hope has always led us toward a two-state solution, this decision legitimizes the October 7th massacre and the trail of suffering it caused, even as hostages remain in captivity," Le Pen said in her post on X. "It is therefore a political and moral mistake, including toward Palestinians who suffer under Hamas' rule."
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a hot-button issue in France, which has a large Muslim population.
Hamas 'Always Rejected the Two-State Solution'
Macron has said the decision on a Palestinian state was "consistent" with his country's "historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East," and called for an "urgent end to the war" as well as greater humanitarian assistance for the people of Gaza.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot defended the decision and rejected the accusation that it helped Hamas.
"Hamas has always rejected the two-state solution. By recognizing Palestine, France proves this terrorist movement wrong. It supports the side of peace against that of war," Barrot posted to X.
Israel is trying to permanently remove Hamas from Gaza to shore up its own security, and to free the last remaining hostages taken there in the October 7 attack. But the war has had a catastrophic effect on ordinary Palestinians in the densely packed Gaza Strip.
Entire neighborhoods have been razed to the ground and tens of thousands of civilians killed amid the fighting. Israel has at times closed off the flow of aid into the strip, citing concerns about smuggling and looting by Hamas.
Israel Reacts to Macron Decision
Israel's Permanent Representative to the U.N., Danny Danon, blasted the French decision.
"Neither international conferences disconnected from reality nor unilateral statements at the U.N. will lead to peace," Danon said in a statement shared with Newsweek.
"Macron's decision to recognize a Palestinian state after the massacre of October 7 and precisely at a time when Hamas is still holding hostages is a disgraceful reward for terrorism," he said.
"Anyone who ignores the reality on the ground—that Israel has no partner for peace—harms not only Israel but the stability of the entire region," he added.
Updated, 7/25/25, 05:59 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Correction, 7/25/25, 9:05 a.m. ET: An incorrect reference to Macron running again at the next French presidential election was removed.
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