France said that now was not the “right time” to join its European Union neighbors, Ireland and Spain, in recognizing a Palestinian state.
French Foreign Minister Stephane Segorn stressed that his government’s “position is clear” that recognition of the Palestinian state is “not taboo” for France. His comments come after Ireland, Spain and Norway announced their plans to officially recognize Palestinian statehood on May 28.
“This decision must be useful, in other words, it must enable decisive progress on the political front,” Segorn said in a Foreign Ministry statement on Wednesday.
He added, “France does not consider that the conditions have yet been created for this decision to have a real impact on this process… With that in mind, it must come at the right time, so that there is a before and after.” ” he added.
The Foreign Minister stressed that such a decision is not merely a “symbolic issue or a matter of political positioning,” but rather a “diplomatic tool” in the service of the two-state solution in the Middle East.
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said in a press conference earlier Wednesday that he was “confident” that “more countries will join us” in recognizing a Palestinian state in the near future.
On Tuesday, France broke with its Western allies and expressed its support for the International Criminal Court after the court announced its decision to request arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister, as well as Hamas leaders.
