Palestinian ambassador to France, Hala Abou Hassira, has told The National that recognition of Palestinian statehood by 11 western nations a year ago must not be “trivialised” despite a deteriorating security and humanitarian situation on the ground.
Speaking hours after French President Emmanuel Macron had defended his diplomatic legacy, including on the Israel-Palestine conflict, at his last speech to the UN General Assembly, Ms Abou Hassira said “more needs to be done” to pressure Israel into ending its occupation of Palestinian territory and enter into peace negotiations.
“We must not downplay the recognition granted by France and the 11 countries that followed suit – led by major G7 nations such as Britain, Canada and Australia, nor should we trivialise it,” Ms Abou Hassira said on Wednesday.
Mr Macron's speech, in which he lambasted Israel for using Hamas as a pretext to violate international law in the occupied West Bank, triggered Israeli fury, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu describing his remarks as a “grotesque absurdity”.
Cynicism
“I hear the cynicism of some – 'recognition on paper; look at reality'. But what credibility do we have if we continue to remain inactive regarding Gaza?” Mr Macron said. “Look at what is happening in the West Bank, where violations occur every day – in the name of what? Hamas has never operated in the West Bank.”
Mr Netanyahu responded on X: “On Sunday, the eve of Yom Kippur, just two days ago, Netanel Shukrun – a French citizen and father of six – was murdered in his car by a Hamas terrorist in Judea and Samaria. Hamas terrorists carry out attacks against Jews almost every day. They have murdered countless Israeli civilians in Judea and Samaria.”
The French Foreign Ministry issued a statement last week following the death of Mr Shukrun, a settler living in an outpost in the West Bank considered illegal under international law, in what it described as a “terrorist attack” but did not confirm his French citizenship.
The attacker fled the scene on foot and was arrested after being wounded by authorities. Israeli forces raided his hometown of Biddu, north-west of Jerusalem.
At the UN General Assembly, Jordan's King Abdullah II described the situation in the West Bank as “extraordinarily dangerous” and bemoaned the lack of will of the international community to sanction Israel for violating international law. The Israeli Foreign Ministry responded by saying Jordan had violated international law in 1988 by revoking the citizenship of Palestinians in the West Bank.
For the second year in a row, the US refused to give Palestinian leadership visas to attend the General Assembly, a gathering of world leaders in New York at which high-stakes diplomacy is conducted. Washington accused the Palestinian Authority of failing to implement reforms despite allowing an audit by a US third-party company on paying families of those who died fighting Israel.
Correct diagnosis
Most of the speeches delivered at the UN gave a correct “diagnosis” of the situation of Palestinians for decades, Ms Abou Hassira said, highlighting the “abandonment of Palestinian people” in the face of Israeli military occupation and the terrorism of Israeli settlers attacking Palestinians in the West Bank that are “consistently backed, encouraged and protected by the Israeli occupation army and Israeli government”.
Around 50 Israeli civilians and military personnel have been killed in the West Bank since 2023, and more than 1,100 Palestinians killed by the Israeli army or settlers, according to the UN. Unlike Gaza, which it used to run, Hamas has an underground presence in the Fatah-run West Bank.
Mr Macron's comment on Hamas in the West Bank can be interpreted as an attempt at highlighting Israel using the militant group as an excuse for systematic policies towards Palestinians, Ms Abou Hassira said.
“Israel used the pretext of Hamas's presence in Gaza to devastate the territory, under the guise of eradicating Hamas,” she said. “How do we explain the policies Israel has been pursuing in the West Bank for decades – policies involving ethnic cleansing, settlement expansion, annexation and the forced displacement of the population?”
French-Israeli relations soured after the recognition of Palestinian statehood, with Mr Macron regularly coming attack from Israeli politicians for alleged anti-Semitism, which he strongly denies.
Mr Macron, who cannot run again in next year's presidential election after two terms in office, has failed in his efforts to enhance diplomatic relations despite trying to strike what his entourage describes as a balanced approach with Israel.
While France joined the UK recently in banning trade with illegal settlements, Paris avoided the harsh rhetoric used by the British government, which accused settlers of “terrorism” and Israel of “ethnic cleansing” and “war crimes”.
“France, along with several other countries, has decided to ban the entry of settlement products into its territory. However, we maintain that all dealings and co-operation with the entire Israeli colonial enterprise must be prohibited,” Ms Abou Hassira said. “But states must go further and impose political, economic and arms-related sanctions on the state of Israel until it complies with international law and honours its obligations under that law.”
