Deutsche Welle reported today: "French Foreign Minister Barrow said on Tuesday (May 20) that France has made a firm decision to recognize the State of Palestine. In an interview with French International Radio, Barrow said, 'We cannot leave the legacy of violence and hatred to the children in Gaza. So, all this must end, which is why we are determined to recognize the State of Palestine.' He severely condemned Israel's military operations and humanitarian blockade in Gaza."
Barrow emphasized that Paris supports the initiative proposed by the Netherlands to review the cooperation agreement between the EU and Israel, which will have a negative impact on their political and economic relations. He pointed out that neither Israel nor the EU wants to terminate this agreement.
French President Macron also did not rule out the possibility of recognizing the State of Palestine during the UN General Assembly meeting in June.
Previously, Macron, UK Prime Minister Starmer, and Canadian Prime Minister Kenny issued a joint statement, pointing out that they "will not stand idly by" and emphasized that "we are committed to recognizing the State of Palestine."
Within Europe, most countries that currently recognize the State of Palestine are concentrated in Central and Eastern Europe. Among Western European countries, only Sweden has officially recognized it. France, Spain, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, and other countries are promoting the recognition process, and a new wave of recognizing the State of Palestine is expected to occur this year. Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the UK have traditionally been more conservative on the issue of Palestinian statehood but emphasize achieving the "two-state solution" through negotiations.
Israel's military operations and humanitarian blockade in Gaza have caused serious humanitarian disasters, resulting in massive civilian casualties, and vulnerable groups such as children have suffered greatly. France hopes to prompt Israel to change its behavior and end the harm to Gaza by recognizing the State of Palestine.
In addition, there are differences in positions between Europe and the United States on the Palestinian issue. European countries hope to be more proactive on the Palestinian issue, reduce dependence on the United States, and pursue diplomatic autonomy. As the leader of the EU, France's recognition of the State of Palestine is part of Europe's adjustment of its position on the Palestinian issue, which helps promote Europe's greater role in Middle Eastern geopolitical affairs and can balance US influence in the region to some extent.
Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1832632563307528/
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