Leila Sansour, filmmaker: 'France's recognition of Palestine would summon others to follow'
On June 13, I stood among a group of Palestinian and Israeli delegates on the lawn of the Elysée Palace, listening to President Emmanuel Macron reiterate his commitment to recognizing the state of Palestine. Despite the gathering storms and the burdens of realpolitik, he seemed to be telling us he would stand firm.
I, a Palestinian from Bethlehem, and a friend from Gaza stood at the edge of the crowd, clapping with everything we had – as if trying to breathe life into his words. In that moment, Macron looked rather presidential, especially against the backdrop of the managerial figures who now dominate global leadership. The spirit of the Republic was in the air – or so we chose to feel – amplified by the striking absence of overbearing security and Macron's willingness to freely mingle with the guests.
My friend and I exchanged a glance. Could we dare believe that one world leader might still move by codes of honor, not cold calculation? We had long stopped hoping. Yet in that moment, the air was thick with fragile expectation.
Foundational step
But even as I write, history leans dangerously toward senseless ruin. The clash between Israel and Iran is unfolding before our eyes. And once again, the question of Palestine – the unfinished project – risks being pushed further into the margins of global attention.
This war, horrific in its own right, is already obscuring the one conflict that has destabilized the region for decades. Yet, Palestine is not a sideshow. Its fate is a central node in the architecture of Middle Eastern peace. And, a nuclear Iran, should this become a reality, in a world where Palestine is free, is a very different equation than a nuclear Iran in a world where Palestinians still live under Israel's domination.
It is with this in mind that I write – because we cannot wait. Postponing the recognition is not just illogical. It is dangerous.
Western leaders have long argued that recognition should be the final act – the crowning achievement of a successful negotiation. The tragedy is: No real negotiation will ever begin without this foundational step. Recognition is what will make real talks possible. It defines the endgame and draws the map of an inevitable journey we must take – before the map is swallowed by chaos. It forces a reckoning with ambiguity and evasion. It tells all actors – Palestinians, Israelis, and the international community – what the future must include, so that the first steps can, at last, be taken.
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