US Jewish teams say France's Palestine recognition plan 'dishonors victims of October 7'

[ad_1] A coalition of main US Jewish teams on Friday turned down an invite to fulfill French Overseas Minister Jean-Noel Barrot following Paris’s announcement a day prior that it could acknowledge a Palestinian state in September, whereas accusing Paris of “dishonoring the victims of October 7.”

In a joint assertion, the Anti-Defamation League, American Jewish Committee, American Israeli Public Affairs Committee, B’nai B’rith Worldwide, Convention of Presidents of Main American Jewish Organizations, UJA-Federation of New York and World Jewish Congress mentioned they had been “deeply involved that France’s method undermines prospects for a mutually negotiated future for Israelis and Palestinians.”

Barrot approached one of many teams, the Convention of Presidents, to fulfill in New York to debate the popularity transfer. It declined.

The teams expressed disappointment that they “had been invited to debate a coverage that seems to have already been finalized.”

They urged French President Emmanuel Macron to rethink the choice and counseled the White Home “for its clear and forceful opposition to the French proposal.”

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By signing up, you conform to the terms US Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned Thursday the US “strongly rejects” the plan. “This reckless choice solely serves Hamas propaganda and units again peace. It's a slap within the face to the victims of October seventh,” he mentioned.

US President Donald Trump mentioned “what [Macron] says doesn’t matter.”

“He’s an excellent man. I like him, however that assertion doesn’t carry weight,” he informed reporters on the White Home.

The Jewish teams mentioned that “By taking such a unilateral step, France not solely emboldens extremists, however dangers the safety of the Jewish individuals across the globe, together with alienating reasonable voices and undermining the credibility of French diplomacy within the area.”

They accused Macron of getting backtracked on “particular situations” for recognizing Palestinian statehood, which the teams mentioned he outlined three months in the past. These situations included “the discharge of hostages nonetheless held in Gaza and Hamas’s give up,” the teams mentioned.

French President Emmanuel Macron waits earlier than welcoming welcomes Prince Rahim al-Hussaini, Aga Khan V, on the presidential Elysee Palace for a working lunch in Paris on July 11, 2025. (Thomas Samson/AFP)

“None of those situations have been met, contradicting the president’s prior commitments,” they added. “By abandoning these situations, France rewards Hamas for its continued brutality and sends a harmful message that legitimizes terrorism whereas dishonoring the victims of October 7, 2023.”

Barrot, who delivered a letter outlining Macron’s announcement to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday, has rebuffed such criticism.

“Hamas has at all times rejected the two-state resolution,” he tweeted on Thursday. “By recognizing Palestine, France proves this terrorist motion fallacious. It helps the aspect of peace in opposition to that of conflict.”

Israel is livid about France’s recognition. Overseas Minister Gideon Sa’ar tweeted on Friday that he had mentioned the transfer together with his Canadian counterpart and warned her that Israel is contemplating an unspecified response.

“Unilateral steps by France and different international locations will solely push Israel to take steps of its personal,” he wrote. “The French initiative harms the probabilities of reaching a hostage deal and ceasefire. It gained’t promote stability within the area.”

William Daroff, the Convention of Presidents’ CEO, mentioned the choice to rebuff Barrot’s invitation didn't signify a everlasting coverage.

“We routinely meet with international leaders, together with after we disagree with their insurance policies. Nevertheless, on this case, the group of invited organizations unanimously agreed to not attend. Talking with one voice underscores the seriousness of our objection,” he mentioned in a press release. “Ought to we obtain future invites, we'll consider them on a case-by-case foundation.”

Macron’s transfer got here amid a worsening humanitarian disaster in Gaza, with help companies warning of widespread starvation, and failed efforts to convey an finish to the conflict sparked by Hamas’s October 2023 assault and to free the hostages nonetheless held by the phobia group.

William Daroff, left, attends a memorial prayer for the victims of the October 7 onslaught in Re’im on February 19, 2024. (Canaan Lidor/Instances of Israel)

Netanyahu and far of the Israeli proper have lengthy opposed the creation of a Palestinian state, insisting it could be a safety risk and a haven for terrorists.

Because the Hamas onslaught in 2023, Jerusalem has additionally mentioned that recognizing a Palestinian state now would incentivize additional violence, appearing as a reward for the rampage, wherein terrorists killed some 1,200 individuals and took 251 hostages, of whom 50 are nonetheless held, together with a minimum of 28 who're confirmed lifeless.

French-Israeli political analyst Myriam Shermer mentioned that “French Jews and French Israelis really feel deserted by Macron.”

“They really feel punished by Macron, who multiplies his criticisms of Israel, whereas France, of their view, ought to have stood by Israel within the combat in opposition to Islamist terrorism,” she mentioned.

Israeli ministers railed in opposition to Macron, with a number of senior members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition calling for Jerusalem to annex the West Financial institution in retaliation.

Netanyahu in his personal assertion mentioned Macron was recognizing a “state subsequent to Tel Aviv within the wake of the October 7 bloodbath.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks throughout a press convention in Jerusalem, Could 21, 2025. (Ronen Zvulun/Pool Picture by way of AP)

“Such a transfer rewards terror and dangers creating one other Iranian proxy, simply as Gaza grew to become. A Palestinian state in these situations could be a launchpad to annihilate Israel — to not dwell in peace beside it.”

“Let’s be clear: the Palestinians don't search a state alongside Israel; they search a state as a substitute of Israel,” the premier asserted.

With Israel more likely to take punitive measures in opposition to France, because it has completed to different international locations which have acknowledged a Palestinian state, some ministers argued that probably the most becoming response could be to annex the territory on which Palestinians hope their future state can be situated.

“I thank President Macron for offering yet one more compelling purpose to lastly apply Israeli sovereignty over the historic areas of Judea and Samaria, and to definitively abandon the failed idea of creating a Palestinian terrorist state within the coronary heart of the Land of Israel,” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote in an English-language tweet.

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