French Election Winner Macron Again Rules Out Palestinian Statehood Recognition

Adam Abrams/JNS.org : May 10, 2017
JNS.org

Netanyahu said Israel and France both face the threat of "radical Islamic terror," and expressed confidence the "longtime allies" would "continue to deepen" relations.

[JNS.org] As French citizens voted Sunday, their eventual president-elect reiterated previous statements ruling out unilateral French recognition of Palestinian statehood and committing to support for a two-state solution. (Photo Credit: Marion Sindel/Flash90/via JNS.org)

On the eve of the election, pro-Europe centrist Emmanuel Macron of the En Marche party—who went on to win the presidential race with 64 percent of the vote, defeating far-right populist Marine Le Pen of the National Front party—said unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state would create instability and damage France's relationship with Israel.

"I defended the principle of a two-state solution, and France's commitment to that," said Macron, recalling a 2015 visit to Israel as France's minister of economy. He added, "Unilateral recognition of Palestine, right now, will undermine stability...[it would have] implications in the loss of the entire [French] relationship with the state of Israel."

Macron has previously expressed support for Israel's security and condemned the BDS movement, referring to anti-Israel boycotts as "profoundly anti-Semitic" and stating anti-Zionism "leads directly to anti-Semitism."

Following the election Sunday, World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder said he is confident Macron "will work to support the state of Israel against its enemies in the international arena, in all its constructs, be it from the extreme left or the extreme right."

French Ambassador to Israel Helene Le Gal tweeted Monday that 96.3 percent of French Israelis who cast their ballots in the cities of Tel Aviv, Netanya, Haifa, Ashdod, Eilat and Be'er Sheva opted for Macron. Le Gal told Army Radio that Macron would be "very friendly" toward Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated the French president-elect, saying, "I look forward to working with President-elect Macron to confront the common challenges and seize the common opportunities facing our two democracies." Netanyahu said Israel and France both face the threat of "radical Islamic terror," and expressed confidence the "longtime allies" would "continue to deepen" relations.

Leading up to Election Day, Jewish leaders inside and outside France had expressed concern about the strong showing of Macron's far-right competitor, Le Pen, in the first round of the French election.

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[Reprinted with permission from JNS.org]