French President Emmanuel Macron is leaning towards recognizing 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 divisions — 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 officials are weighing up the move ahead of a United Nations conference, which France and Saudi Arabia are co-hosting from June 17 to 20, to lay out the parameters for a road map to a Palestinian state while ensuring Israel's security.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.