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France ‘ready to recognize Palestine’- at the right time

President Emmanuel Macron says France will officially recognize Palestinian state “at a useful moment.”

By World Israel News Staff

Following a raucous debate in the French parliament, French President Emmanuel Macron stressed that the country is willing to officially recognize the State of Palestine, albeit not at the current moment.

“I am totally prepared to recognize a Palestinian state, but this recognition must come at a useful moment,” Macron told media on Tuesday, during a diplomatic visit in Germany.

“I will not do a recognition based on emotion,” he added.

Macron’s comments came after a discussion on the matter in the French parliament led to dramatic scenes, including a lawmaker being temporarily barred from the body.

MP Sebastien Delogu, a member of the far-left La France Insoumise party, waved a Palestinian flag during a spirited debate on France’s position regarding recognizing a Palestinian state.

The move, which was widely viewed as a disruptive stunt, led the Speaker of the French parliament to eject Delogu from the plenum and suspend him from the parliament for two weeks.

As he left the room, Delogu flashed a “V” sign and centrist and right-wing politicians applauded and cheered at the announcement of his punishment, according to an RFI report.

Last week, Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said that France was not planning to follow Ireland, Norway, and Spain in officially recognizing a Palestinian state in the near future.

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“France does not consider that the conditions have yet been met for this decision to have a real impact on this process,” Sejourne told media, after meeting in Paris with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz.

Sejourne stressed that international recognition of a Palestinian state was crucial for solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“This is not just a symbolic issue or a question of political positioning, but a diplomatic tool in the service of the solution of two states living side by side in peace and security”, he said.