On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron introduced that France is making ready to recognise Palestinian statehood inside just a few months. If it proceeds, Paris would turn into the twelfth European Union member to formally settle for the existence of the Palestinian state. Final yr, Slovenia, Eire and Spain did so, bringing the full variety of EU states recognising Palestine to 11 out of 27.
The French recognition can be a big step in the best path, particularly if it affirms Palestine’s 1967 borders and East Jerusalem as its capital, respecting worldwide legislation provisions and the worldwide consensus.
This might transfer different European international locations to do the identical, together with Luxembourg and Portugal and will put important stress on others, notably the UK, Switzerland and Belgium.
Nevertheless, France is prone to turning its recognition of Palestine into one other empty gesture to avoid wasting face amid rising opposition amongst Europeans to the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the genocide in Gaza.
Underneath Macron, France has been removed from assembly its authorized and political obligations in direction of Palestine, turning a blind eye to Israel’s horrific crimes and violations. On this context, the French announcement could be seen as a diplomatic transfer that’s too little, too late.
Till lately, Western powers largely conditioned the popularity of Palestine on the end result of peace negotiations, which in actuality meant giving Israel a veto proper over Palestinian statehood. It’s because Israel doesn’t need negotiations to provide an answer – whether or not a two-state one alongside the 1967 borders or a one-state one wherein Palestinians and Israelis have equal rights.
Israeli legislation opposes recognition of Palestine and the fulfilment of the Palestinian proper to self-determination, however Western powers have continued to behave as if this was not the case.
Israel was given this leverage over Palestine even if its personal statehood was primarily based on United Nations Decision 181, which known as for the creation of two states, and its membership within the UN was conditioned on the implementation of Resolutions 181 and 194 – the latter pertaining to the best of return for Palestinian refugees. Successive Israeli governments have systematically violated each resolutions in addition to many others with out going through any penalties from their Western allies.
Now that the Israeli authorities has lastly made clear that its plan is ethnic cleaning and annexation of all of Palestine, some Western international locations appear to be reconsidering their stance and are opting to recognise Palestinian statehood.
Whereas recognition is essential, it can’t be the one step a rustic resembling France ought to take to implement the Palestinian proper to self-determination. France is a former colonial energy within the Center East, a everlasting member of the UN Safety Council, a number one member of the EU, one in every of Israel’s most essential buying and selling companions and an essential donor for Palestine.
As such, it has the ethical and authorized obligation to do greater than that. Recognition by itself is just not going to cease the continuing ethnic cleaning and annexation. These processes proceed unabated as a result of international locations like France fail to behave and maintain Israel accountable.
For instance, France was one of many first European international locations to grant de facto immunity to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the Worldwide Legal Court docket (ICC) issued an arrest warrant towards him in November. Paris has opened its airspace on a number of events for Netanyahu to fly over on his solution to america in violation of its obligations beneath the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC.
Regardless of rising requires an arms embargo on Israel, France has continued to promote weapons to the Israeli military throughout the ongoing genocide. French residents face no repercussions for partaking in settler-colonialism within the occupied West Financial institution or serving within the Israeli occupation forces, which have been repeatedly accused of committing horrific battle crimes.
Likewise, France continues to tolerate the fundraising for unlawful Israeli settlements whereas a number of French corporations have contributed to the continuing annexation strategy of occupied Palestinian territory.
France has been granted a particular function in Jerusalem close to defending the established order advantages of Christian denominations. Nevertheless, it has hardly taken any concrete measures to cease ongoing Israeli makes an attempt to impose unlawful taxes on church buildings and take over church property.
If France is actually eager about being a dealer of peace within the Center East, it must do extra than simply recognising Palestinian statehood. It should act in accordance with its obligations beneath the UN Constitution and the Rome Statute. It should put actual stress on Israel to finish its occupation and colonisation of Palestinian land and take motion towards French residents and firms concerned in them. It should reverse its resolution to grant immunity to Israeli officers wished by the ICC.
On the EU stage, France should be a part of Spain and Eire in demanding a evaluate of the EU-Israel Affiliation Settlement in gentle of Israel’s flagrant violation of Article 2, which stipulates that relations needs to be primarily based on respect for human rights.
It goes with out saying that the Israeli authorities opposes any recognition of Palestine and can make use of its accessible instruments to stop it. It may apply stress by mobilising home opposition, coordinating with shut Israeli allies, resembling america, and taking motion towards diplomats primarily based in Jerusalem – amongst different ways.
It will pressure France to face its second of reality: Is it keen to face up for its rules, or will it succumb to Israeli blackmail? Will it prepared the ground in Europe on respecting worldwide obligations, or will it let its recognition of Palestine stay an empty gesture?
At a time when US President Donald Trump’s administration endorses ethnic cleaning as an official coverage and the EU is at its lowest political level close to Palestine, France has the chance to make a distinction. It may well be a part of different EU members, like Spain and Eire, which together with the International South are pushing for a rules-based worldwide order the place Palestine is not the exception to the norm. It may well reside as much as its personal motto of “liberté, égalité, fraternité” by supporting the Palestinian folks’s pursuit of liberty, equality and fraternity.
The views expressed on this article are the writer’s personal and don’t essentially replicate Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
