A survey conducted by the CRIF group, which represents Jewish communities in France, showed that 33% of respondents oppose recognizing Palestine “in the short term
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About three in four French people do not support President Emmanuel Macron’s initiative to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN this week.
According to the survey commissioned by CRIF and published Thursday, only 29% of French people support the immediate recognition advocated by Macron.
Majority support came only from voters of the far-left La France Insoumise party.
Among those opposed to Macron’s proposal, 38% said they would only accept recognition of Palestine after Hamas releases the 48 hostages it still holds and surrenders.
Another 33% said they oppose any recognition “in the short term.” The survey was conducted by the French news agency Ifop on September 3rd and 4th.
In an interview with Israel’s Channel 12, Macron accused Israel of “completely destroying the country’s image and credibility” in the war against Hamas in Gaza.
He argued that “Palestinians have the legitimate right to have a state” and said that recognizing Palestine is a way to “isolate Hamas,” calling the terrorist group’s support for his proposal “pure cynicism.”
Macron also praised Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas for promising reforms in response to the recognition proposal.
On Friday, he announced that the Palestinian Authority had arrested a suspect in the plot of a 1982 anti-Semitic terrorist attack at a Paris restaurant that killed six people, including two Americans.
The suspect, 70-year-old Hicham Harb, was detained in Judea and Samaria, and Macron highlighted the “excellent cooperation” with Abbas to extradite him as quickly as possible.
Macron stated that his government will ensure that Abbas fulfills his commitment to peace after recognizing Palestine.
He wrote on social media that “this recognition is part of a comprehensive peace plan for the region, which seeks to meet the aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians for security and peace.”
US Ambassador to France Charles Kushner criticized the initiative, noting that France had previously demanded that the Palestinian Authority recognize Israel as a Jewish state, demilitarize Hamas, commit to peace negotiations, and establish real governance in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza.
He questioned how France could move forward with the UN vote without these conditions being met.
US Senator John Fetterman also criticized the proposal, saying that recognizing Palestine now would be “rewarding Hamas” for the October 7 attacks, which killed and raped more than 1,200 Israelis and held hostages for two years.
He warned: “When Hamas applauds your decision, it’s time to rethink your values.”
Macron is leading the push with Saudi Arabia to recognize Palestine during the UN summit in New York.
Israel and other countries argue that this decision rewards Hamas for the October 7 attacks.
On Friday, the French Interior Ministry banned the display of Palestinian flags in city halls and public buildings to celebrate the recognition, claiming it violates the principle of public service neutrality.
The order came after Socialist leader Olivier Faure called for the flags to be flown on Monday, which coincides with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.
Published in 09/21/2025 11h41
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
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