French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday called on President Mahmoud Abbas to “initiate vital reforms” in the Palestinian Authority, in preparation for “recognition of a Palestinian state,” according to what the French presidency said in a statement.
In a phone call with Abbas, the French President affirmed “France’s commitment to work with its European and Arab partners to build a common vision for peace that provides security guarantees for Palestinians and Israelis,” and “to include the process of recognizing the State of Palestine in an effective dynamic.”
The Elysee statement said that Macron and Abbas renewed the call to stop military operations in Gaza immediately, as requested by the International Court of Justice.
Earlier, France said that the establishment of a Palestinian state is not a “taboo” for Paris, but the timing now is not appropriate.
Yesterday, Tuesday, Spain, Norway and Ireland announced their official recognition of the State of Palestine, which raises the number of countries recognizing it to 147 out of 193 countries in the United Nations General Assembly, with a number of other countries expressing their readiness for such recognition.
Israel reacted angrily, and immediately withdrew its ambassadors from the three countries and recalled the ambassadors of these countries.