“The initiative was created and advanced by the French president, and it’s why the main reaction will be vis-à-vis France and not other countries,” said Hen Feder, the spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy in Paris.
The statehood push from Macron coincides with efforts by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to increase pressure on Israel over Gaza. The Commission on Wednesday unveiled plans for unprecedented tariffs and sanctions targeting Israel over findings of human rights violations in Gaza, prompting an angry response from Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who accused von der Leyen of “empowering terrorist groups” in a letter obtained by POLITICO.
Israel and the United States have repeatedly argued that recognizing a Palestinian state has the same effect — it rewards the militant group Hamas, which was largely responsible for the Oct. 7 terror attack that sparked the current crisis, and undermines negotiations to obtain the release of Israeli hostages still held in the Gaza Strip.
Relations between Israel and France, which is home to Europe’s largest Jewish and Muslim populations, have been made more complicated by the personal antagonism between Macron and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who have had some very public clashes.
Netanyahu sent a letter to Macron that was made public, accusing him of pouring fuel on an “antisemitic fire” with his plan to recognize a Palestinian state. Macron forcefully rebutted those accusations in his own correspondence.
Antisemitic attacks have increased in France in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks against Israel, but no hard numbers have been made public to back up the assertion by Netanyahu or U.S. Ambassador to France Charles Kushner that such incidents have increased since Macron unveiled his recognition plan. Kushner was summoned by the French foreign ministry over his comments.
Paris, meanwhile, is preparing a range of possible retaliation moves to Israel, according to a French diplomat. According to the French daily Le Figaro, the options include closing an Israeli consulate in France and expelling Israeli spies operating in France.