Reactions in France and internationally multiplied on Monday after Emmanuel Macron officially announced France's recognition of the State of Palestine at the opening of the annual United Nations summit in New York.

Following the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Portugal, France officially recognized the State of Palestine on Monday, September 22. The announcement, which is expected to be followed by other countries at the UN, immediately provoked numerous reactions in France and abroad.

The Palestinian Authority was one of the first to react following the French president's speech at the UN, hailing the decision as "historic and courageous." The Palestinian Foreign Ministry welcomed, in a statement, "the recognition by the friendly Republic of France of the State of Palestine and considers it a historic and courageous decision in accordance with international law and United Nations resolutions, thus supporting efforts to achieve peace and implement the two-state solution."

The ministry also welcomes "the pioneering role played by France and President Macron in encouraging many states" to proceed with the same recognition.

For its part, Saudi Arabia called on all countries to take the same "historic step" of recognizing the Palestinian state. "We call on other countries to take a similar historic step that will have a significant impact in supporting efforts towards the two-state solution, achieving comprehensive peace in the Middle East, and finding a new reality where the region can enjoy peace, stability, and prosperity," Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said at the podium.

A position shared by many countries. "We condemn all violence against innocent civilians: only the two-state solution will lead to peace," insisted Prabowo Subianto , President of the Indonesian Republic.

"I hope these initiatives will lead to concrete progress," said Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey . "No one with a conscience can accept what is happening before our eyes. The Israeli government is trying to make the establishment of a Palestinian state impossible and to force the population to move."

"The world is taking an important step today on the path to a just and lasting peace," said King Abdullah II of Jordan .

At the UN podium, Antonio Guterres , Secretary-General of the United Nations, also called for a two-state solution, "the only way out of this nightmare." "We are here today to help find the only way out of this nightmare: a two-state solution where two democratic, sovereign and independent states, Israel and Palestine, would coexist in peace and security," he explained at the UN.

For their part, the United States and Israel had already criticized the French announcement, even before Emmanuel Macron's speech. Donald Trump, a key ally of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, "believes that recognizing the State of Palestine is a reward for Hamas," according to his spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.

"Manipulation of opinion"

In France, the issue continues to divide the political class. "This recognition is not a symbol," but "a signal of hope," the Socialist Party hailed , and it "will involve the demilitarization of Hamas and the installation of a renewed Palestinian Authority."

"A victory, belated, but a victory nonetheless. France must now act for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and put an end to the massacres, the persecutions, the occupation. We must stop Netanyahu!" Fabien Roussel , the national secretary of the Communist Party , a long-time supporter of the Palestinians, said on the X network, recalling the objective of a "two-state solution."

The leader of La France Insoumise (LFI) , Jean-Luc Mélenchon , who has made support for Gaza one of his priorities, also welcomed "an irreversible victory of the popular struggle for the right of a people to self-determination", despite the explanations, which he described as "tangled" by the head of state who spoke on Monday evening at the UN podium.

"The only reality is that France and ten other nations recognize the State of Palestine," he said, judging that the recognition of the Palestinian State by other countries including Great Britain, Canada and Australia creates "a better balance of power to obtain the end of the crimes and genocide in Gaza" by means of sanctions against Israel which are in his eyes "the logical continuation."

On the right and in the National Rally , Emmanuel Macron's gesture has sparked reservations, even outright opposition. "It's Emmanuel Macron's choice, not mine. But my conviction is that we can only recognize a Palestinian state if the conditions are met," declared Interior Minister and president of the Republicans (LR) Bruno Retailleau on LCI, a few minutes before the head of state spoke at the UN.

"Recognizing a Palestinian state unconditionally is not a step toward peace. It is a victory for Hamas, the terrorist organization of October 7," said Xavier Bertrand, president of the Hauts-de-France LR party , earlier today.

The RN also accused the party of playing into the hands of the Palestinian Islamist movement. "It is Hamastan that Emmanuel Macron recognizes today, not Palestine. This is an extremely serious error, particularly with regard to nations fighting against Islamist terrorism," accused party leader Marine Le Pen on Monday morning .

On the contrary, "recognizing the State of Palestine means rejecting the inevitability of war and reaching out to peace. It means isolating Hamas, which feeds on despair," said MoDem MP leader Marc Fesneau.

With AFP