Diplomatic Terrorism?: France's Recognition of an Imaginary Palestinian State
by Drieu Godefridi • July 31, 2025 at 5:00 am
International law — particularly Article 1 of the 1933 Montevideo Convention — defines the criteria for statehood: a permanent population, a defined territory, an effective government, and the capacity to engage in relations with other states. Yet neither of the two Palestinian political entities meets these criteria.
By choosing to recognize a "Palestinian state" that clearly fails to meet these established criteria, France departs from any international law. Macron's declaration is not a matter of legal recognition, but a political gesture — ideological and electoral — masquerading as diplomacy.
[T]his recognition serves as a reward for terrorism. It offers no humanitarian benefit. As US President Donald Trump put it: "What Macron says is irrelevant—it won't change anything." The sole concrete outcome is the political legitimization of a jihadist, anti-Semitic, genocidal movement.
On 24 July 2025, France announced its decision to recognize the existence of a "Palestinian state" in September. President Emmanuel Macron portrayed this move as an act of "justice" and "peace." In reality, however, this recognition constitutes a geopolitical fiction — contrary to international law, flagrantly at odds with the facts on the ground, and laden with profoundly harmful moral implications.
1. What State?
International law — particularly Article 1 of the 1933 Montevideo Convention — defines the criteria for statehood: a permanent population, a defined territory, an effective government, and the capacity to engage in relations with other states. Yet neither of the two Palestinian political entities meets these criteria.
