French President Emmanuel Macron’s recognition of a Palestinian state on Monday drew fierce rebuke from Franco-Israelis, who found the move exasperating and incomprehensible.
“I led Macron’s campaign in Israel and today we are truly ashamed and angry,” said Nitay Kimron, 40, who moved to Israel 21 years ago.
He said the move “would have been welcome at another time, under different circumstances… but after October 2023 and under the current circumstances, to us it seems like a reward for terrorism,” he told AFP by telephone, referring to the Hamas-led attack that started the ongoing Gaza war.
Announcing his decision at the UN General Assembly in New York, Macron said France recognized a Palestinian state in the interest of peace.
Speaking ahead of Macron’s announcement, Kimron said: “It’s not logical and it seems like clientelism.”
“Since he has lost all his support in France, he’s going to try to win back votes from the left, which is very pro-Palestine. So it’s very political and not really smart.”
Chaim, who preferred not to use his last name, also said he felt the decision was linked to domestic considerations in France and Britain — which was among a wave of Western countries to recognize a Palestinian state on Sunday.
“I think it’s a disaster,” said the 61-year-old who works in the space sector.
“You have people who think in the very, very short term and don’t understand the meaning of what they are doing,” he added.
Israel has come under huge international pressure over its war in Gaza, which has sparked a dire humanitarian crisis in the territory.
Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas’s 2023 attack, Palestinian terrorists in Gaza still hold 47 captives, in addition to the body of a soldier killed in the 2014 war.
Isaac, a 32-year-old civil engineer, told AFP by telephone that he didn’t understand the reasoning behind France’s move to recognize a Palestinian state.
“It’s not going to free any hostages, it’s not going to improve the situation, it’s not going to stop the war. It just gives a prize for terror,” he said ahead of the formal announcement.
“Hamas hails this kind of gesture. So basically, they’ll say, ‘Oh, that’s great, we kill Jews and we get things in return.’ So it’s just going to encourage even more murder, bloodshed, hatred and that’s it,” he added.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denounced the push for Palestinian statehood recognition as “absurd,” claiming it would endanger Israel’s existence.
US President Donald Trump said ahead of Macron’s announcement that the move by Washington’s allies was a “reward to Hamas.”