Macron's slow shift toward recognizing the State of Palestine

They all sensed his determination, as if the French president had shed his last doubts and was now resolved not to back down. In the Elysée Palace on Thursday, September 11, around 20 people gathered around the table set up in the Salon des Ambassadeurs. Among those present were philosophers such as Alain Finkielkraut, a regular on air from France Culture to the far-right CNews channel, and Bernard-Henri Lévy, known as "BHL," a staunch supporter of Ukraine, historian Marc Knobel, writer Valérie Zenatti, and successful screenwriter Danièle Thompson. Also present were several leading business figures such as Maurice Lévy, head of Publicis, and Denis Olivennes, former head of Lagardère. It was an eclectic mix from the worlds of art and business.

These were prominent figures from the Jewish community in France, gathered to discuss the surge in antisemitism – a crisis that reignites some of the most painful memories in French national history. But beyond the deep unease felt by Jews in France, Emmanuel Macron wanted to sound out his guests.

As Israel stepped up its ground offensive in Gaza, the French leader was set to declare, on Monday, September 22, from the podium of the United Nations in New York, that France was recognizing the State of Palestine. The gesture, both symbolic and historic, had already been announced in July and was immediately condemned by Israel and regretted by the United States. Would France's Jews see it as a betrayal? "This is not the right time," BHL told him. The writer's argument echoed that of the Israeli government and the CRIF, the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France: This recognition, two years after the massacre of October 7, 2023, in Israel, carried out by Hamas, would amount to rewarding the terrorist organization.

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