Conflict in the Middle East
Netanyahu confirms rejection of the Palestinian state
Updated on April 15th, 2025 – 1:44 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
Macron had recently promised that France could recognize a Palestinian state in June. At Netanyahu, he encounters massive resistance.
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed to France President Emmanuel Macron that he strictly rejects the establishment of a Palestinian state. Such a step would “represent a huge reward for terrorism,” said Netanyahu, according to his office, on the phone call with Macron.
From the Palestinian side-not even by the Autonomy Agency-there have so far been no conviction of the Hamas massacre in the Israeli border area on October 7, 2023, Netanyahu said on the grounds. “Children are brought up to strive for Israel’s destruction and given financial rewards to those who murder the Jews.” A Palestinian state “only minutes away from Israeli cities would be an Iranian terrorist base,” he said. A majority of the Israelis reject this.
Macron had recently promised in an interview with the broadcaster France 5 that France could recognize a Palestinian state in June. He made it clear that he also strives to recognize propalestinian states of Israel. He expressed the goal that this “mutual recognition” through several states could take place in June at a conference led together with Saudi Arabia.
Almost 150 UN member states have recognized Palestine as a state. Important western countries are not part of it, including the UN veto power of the USA, France and Great Britain as well as Germany.
The term two -state solution means an independent Palestinian state that occurs peacefully side by side with Israel. The Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas, against which Israel is fighting in the Gaza Strip, also rejects such a solution.
Macron did not specifically respond to possible recognition in a message after the phone call with Netanyahu. On the other hand, he emphasized that a ceasefire was the only way to ensure the liberation of further hostages. In addition, all checkpoints for humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip would have to be opened.
