France will recognise Palestine state: Macron; 1st in G7 to do so
President Emmanuel Macron announced late Thursday that France would recognise the state of Palestine as part of "its historical commitment to a just and durable peace in the Middle East" (West Asia).
In a surprise statement on social platform X that followed months of hints and hesitations, he said that he would make a formal announcement to that effect at the United Nations General Assembly in Sept in New York.
"Today the most urgent thing is that the war in Gaza cease and the civilian population be helped," Macron said. His statement came as anger mounted across the world over the continued Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip and growing starvation there.
France would become the first of the G7 nations to recognise a Palestinian state.
PM Keir Starmer, after discussing with Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ways to pressure Israel to end its war in Gaza, said on Friday that he was focused on the "practical solutions". "Recognition of a Palestinian state has to be one of those steps. I am unequivocal about that," he said. "But it must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution..."
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025
Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List
Undo
Germany too said it is not planning to recognise a Palestinian state in the short term.
A govt spokesperson said, "Israel's security is of paramount importance to German govt."
Hala Abou-Hassira, the Palestinian ambassador to France, applauded Macron's decision, saying that it demonstrated a France "faithful to its history, faithful to its policies, and faithful to international law."
Other European states, including Spain, Ireland and Norway, recognised a Palestinian state last year, but the French decision is of a different order. France is home to the largest Jewish and Muslim populations in western Europe, and is the only nuclear power and only permanent member of the UNSC in the EU. About 144 of the 193 member states of the UN recognise Palestine as a state, including most of the global south as well as Russia, China, India.
The UNGA approved the de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine in Nov 2012 by upgrading its observer status to "non-member state" from "entity."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
10 minutes ago
- First Post
Is India facing the highest tariffs? How do other countries fare?
Trump's punishing new tariffs on more than 90 countries have snapped into place, marking a new global trade order. Among the countries listed is India, which has been slapped with a 25 per cent levy along with another 25 per cent penalty for purchasing Russian oil. This puts India on the same level as Brazil — both with 50 per cent tariffs, followed by war-torn Syria (41 per cent) read more With the newly announced 25 per cent additional tariff on imports, India has now joined Brazil at the top of the list of countries facing the highest import taxes under President Trump's adjusted tariff regime. File image/AP After several false starts, a new trade order is now in effect, courtesy Donald Trump's new tariffs. 'It's midnight! Billions of dollars in tariffs are now flowing into the United States of America!,' the US president said on social media minutes before the midnight deadline in Washington, DC. On Thursday (August 7), Trump's reciprocal tariffs, which he announced a week ago, snapped into place. Few of America's major trading partners have been spared under Trump's updated slate of duties, which together have sent the average effective US tariff rate to its highest level in nearly a century. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Among those hit by the new tariffs is India, which has been slapped with a 25 per cent levy. However, that's not it. Trump, on Wednesday (August 6) also announced another 25 per cent tariff on India as punishment for its continued purchase of Russian oil. This takes India combined levies to 50 per cent — putting it at par with Brazil, followed by Syria. Catch all the live updates on here Trump's tariffs on India As part of the executive order that Trump signed last week, India's tariff was increased to 25 per cent. Then on Wednesday, he ramped up the tariff rate by levying another 25 per cent as punishment for purchasing Russian oil. According to the executive order, the 25 per cent tariff for buying Russian oil will come into effect 21 days later, on August 27. Earlier in the week, Trump had threatened India with the new tariffs, saying they were helping Russia wage war in Ukraine. 'India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the oil purchased, selling it on the open market for big profits. They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian war machine,' he wrote on social media. However, in its defence, India said Delhi had already made clear its stance on imports from Russia, and reiterated that the tariff is 'unfair, unjustified and unreasonable'. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said, 'It is therefore extremely unfortunate that the US should choose to impose additional tariffs on India for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest. 'India will take all actions necessary to protect its national interests.' Prime Minister Narendra Modi also issued a strong reaction to the tariffs imposed by Trump, saying, 'The interest of farmers is our top priority. India will never compromise with the interests of its farmers, livestock holders, and fishermen. And I know that I will have to pay a huge price for this personally, but I am ready. India is ready, for the sake of the country's farmers, fishermen and livestock holders.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Cargo containers line a shipping terminal at the Port of Oakland as Trump's new tariffs for over 90 countries come into effect. AP Trump tariffs on other countries But India isn't the only nation that has been slapped with tariffs. More than 90 countries have been slapped with varying degrees of tariffs — ranging from 10 per cent to as high as 41 per cent. Before Thursday, virtually every country's goods were subject to a minimum 10 per cent tariff. Now rates vary substantially from country to country. The highest rates imposed are on goods from Brazil (50 per cent), Laos (40 per cent), Myanmar (40 per cent), Switzerland (39 per cent), Iraq (35 per cent) and Serbia (35 per cent). An additional 21 countries also face levies greater than 15 per cent. This includes several countries the US relies heavily on for a variety of goods, such as Vietnam (20 per cent), Taiwan (20 per cent) and Thailand (19 per cent). According to the list published by the White House last week, members of the European Union will be subjected to a 15 per cent tariff. Last week, Trump also boosted the tariff rate on Canada from 25 per cent to 35 per cent, saying the country had 'failed to cooperate' in curbing the flow of fentanyl and other drugs across the US border. The Canadian government says it is cracking down on drug gangs. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But most Canadian exports to the US will dodge the import tax due to an existing trade treaty — the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Notably, India's tariffs are among the highest among the Asian countries. Its neighbours Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have been subjected to levies ranging from 20 per cent to 15 per cent. Status of trade deals Trump's new tariffs come into effect even as countries continue to negotiate with the Trump administration on trade deals. Countries like the UK, Japan and South Korea have already reached agreements to get lower tariffs than Trump threatened in April. Meanwhile other countries are still trying to negotiate deals. For instance, Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter and Economy Minister Guy Parmelin were in Washington on Wednesday to negotiate a deal. However, they failed to convince the US government on the 39 per cent tariffs on Swiss goods. China, too, is in the midst of negotiating a trade deal with the US with an August 12 deadline looming over them. India is also trying to negotiate a trade deal with the United States. The last talks between the two delegations was in mid-July but no breakthrough could be achieved. The next set of talks is reportedly scheduled for the second half of August. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, it remains to be seen if the sixth round of talks bear any fruit for New Delhi. With inputs from agencies
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
10 minutes ago
- First Post
Despite pressure, Israel's military chief rejects Netanyahu's plans for Gaza occupation
Israel's military chief, Eyal Zamir, opposed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal to expand the occupation operation in Gaza. Zamir feared that an operation like this would pose security risks to hostages still held captive in the region read more Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seen with IDF Chief of Staff, Lieutenent General Eyal Zamir, at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, on September 8, 2015. File Image / Israel Government Press Office Amid the tensions in West Asia, Israel's military chief is pushing back against the country's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over plans to expand military operations in Gaza. Three Israeli officials close to the matter told Reuters that the country's military leadership does not agree with Netanyahu's idea of seizing areas of Gaza that Israel doesn't already control. As per the report, the disagreement was more apparent during a three-hour meeting between the Israeli premier and the country's military on Tuesday. During the talks, Eyal Zamir, the military chief of staff, warned the prime minister that taking the rest of Gaza could trap the country's military in the territory. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Zamir pointed out that recouping the territories which the Israeli military withdrew from could harm the hostages who are still being held in Gaza. Sources close to the matter told Reuters that Netanyahu was pushing for expansion into territories Israel's military withdrew from two decades ago. 75% of Gaza is already under Israeli control During the meeting, the Israeli military noted that it already controls 75 per cent of Gaza after nearly two years of war, which began after Hamas' surprise attack on Southern Israel on October 7, 2023. In light of this, the Israeli officials opposed imposing military rule, annexing the territory, and rebuilding Jewish settlements there — policies advocated by some government members. The disagreement is coming at a time when Netanyahu is under immense international and domestic pressure to reach a ceasefire with Hamas and ensure the release of all hostages. Multiple aid groups also emphasised that starvation has struck Gaza amid the war. At the meeting, Netanyahu told Zamir that so far, the Israeli military had failed to bring about the release of hostages in the region. An official who asked to remain anonymous told Reuters that most of those freed so far came about as a result of diplomatic negotiation and not the Israeli military freeing them in Gaza. Amid the chaos, on Wednesday, Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz, wrote on X that the military chief has both the right and the duty to voice his opinion, but said that the military would carry out the government's decisions until all war objectives are achieved. Meanwhile, the prime minister's office confirmed that the meeting with Zamir took place on Tuesday but declined to comment further. Meanwhile, Netanyahu is now expected to discuss this plan with the war cabinet, which is mostly comprised of far-right leaders.
Mint
10 minutes ago
- Mint
Is Gaza really starving to death? Israeli President slams Hamas' ‘lies' amid German media ‘expose'
Israeli President Isaac Herzog called out what he described as Hamas-led "staging efforts", citing recent investigative reports from leading German newspapers that revealed "fake" images from hunger-stricken Gaza. During a visit to Tallinn on Wednesday, Isaac Herzog held up two photos: one of Israeli hostage Eviatar David; and another of Rom Breslavsky, who appeared in a recent Hamas video. Herzog juxtaposed these with a now-controversial image from Gaza showing Palestinians holding empty pots in front of a food distribution center. He also showed a photograph wherein a photographer could be seen, what he said, "staging Gaza people to show that they are lacking food while there is food there behind them. This is a staging effort." "I highlighted the hypocrisy of Hamas' lies," Herzog said in a post on X. "I showed proof of Hamas' PR campaign, with a recently published staged photo of Gazans with empty food pots," he added. He accused the United Nations of "holding hundreds of trucks which it is failing to distribute." Herzog urged the international community to resist falling for such distortions. "We do not deny the humanitarian need in Gaza," he said, "but we ask the world not to fall for Hamas' lies. Condemn Hamas and tell them: You want to move forward? Release the hostages." He emphasized that Israel has drastically increased its humanitarian aid efforts, saying, 'In the last week alone, we've brought in 30,000 tons of aid -- 30 tons by air yesterday alone. The UN has almost 800 trucks they could distribute — and failed to do so. So a lot could have been done.' Isaac Herzog's remarks follow revelations from the Suddeutsche Zeitung, which published an "expose" showing how Hamas uses staged imagery to sway international opinion. There has been significant media attention over the last few days regarding reports by two German-language papers - BILD and Süddeutsche Zeitung - that accuse Gaza-based press photographers of staging photos of starving civilians. They highlighted "The issue of staged photos or photos taken out of context came," the Jerusalem Post reported. The BILD report focused on a widely circulated photo of desperate Gazan women and children empty holding pots and pans. According to the investigation, professional photographers -- some working with international news agencies -- were found directing civilians to pose with empty pots and in fabricated scenarios meant to convey starvation. "At least some of the images were presented in a false or misleading context," the paper concluded. One such photographer, identified by Bild as Anas Zayed Fatiyeh, was hired by Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency. The manipulation of war photography triggered alarm within Germany's press circles. The German Journalists' Association (DJV) issued a statement warning of "manipulation attempts through professionally produced press photography." DJV Chair Mika Beuster noted that "all parties involved in this war -- including media and intelligence services -- are using the power of imagery like never before to shape public perception." A historian and visual documentation expert interviewed by Suddeutsche Zeitung added that while not all such images are outright fakes, they are often "positioned a certain way or paired with misleading captions that tap into our visual memory and emotions." (With inputs from agencies)
