- No decision taken but Macron favours Palestinian recognition
- Paris wants to create momentum as two-state solution dissipates
- Israeli lobbies to convince Paris to change course
PARIS, May 28 (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron is leaning towards recognising a Palestinian state, but diplomats and experts say such a move may prove a premature and ineffective way to pressure Israel into moving towards a peace deal with the Palestinians.
They say it could deepen Western splits, not only within the already-divided European Union, but also with the United States, Israel’s staunchest ally, and would need to be accompanied by other measures such as sanctions and trade bans if recognition were to be anything more than a symbolic gesture.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wave as Netanyahu arrives for a dinner at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, France, February 2, 2023. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File






