France, Others Recognise Palestine: Symbolic Gesture or Turning Point? By Senator Iroegbu
On September 22, 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York and formally recognised the State of Palestine. Coming after similar moves by the United Kingdom, Canada, Spain, Belgium, and others, the announcement has been hailed in some quarters as a historic step toward justice. To others, it is reckless diplomacy that rewards violence and undermines security.
Macron’s words were deliberate and forceful. “The time has come to free the hostages, to stop the bombings, to end the massacres, to seize peace before it slips away forever. One life is worth one life.” He framed recognition as both a moral duty and a strategic necessity—an attempt to salvage the dying two-state solution and re-anchor diplomacy in a conflict where Gaza’s two million residents face starvation, disease, and despair. France, alongside its allies, is betting that moral clarity, backed by aid, diplomacy, and multilateral engagement, can tilt the balance toward peace.
But Israel sees it differently. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar branded the recognition “dangerous,” warning it indirectly legitimises Hamas. The fear in Tel Aviv is that unilateral recognition undermines Israel’s security, emboldens extremists, and weakens the negotiation table. Israel has even threatened to annex more of the West Bank—a move that could escalate the crisis rather than calm it.
Macron, however, insists recognition is a blow against Hamas and a victory for moderates willing to pursue peace. He outlined a three-phase plan: an immediate ceasefire and hostage release; stabilisation and reconstruction of Gaza under a transitional Palestinian administration with international backing; and final-status negotiations on borders, security, and Jerusalem, paving the way for a sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel.
Supporters of the move argue that recognition empowers the Palestinian Authority, aligns Arab and European states, and injects urgency into stalled talks. Critics counter that it bypasses genuine negotiations, creates false hope for civilians who need governance rather than gestures, and risks deepening instability. The truth lies somewhere between symbolism and substance.
France’s recognition of Palestine could become the spark that revives the two-state solution—or it could prove another diplomatic mirage. The direction it takes will depend not on speeches in New York, but on the hard work of building peace, disarming extremists, and delivering justice on the ground. That requires genuine commitment from all parties: Israel must embrace compromise rather than endless war; Palestinian leaders must prove they can govern responsibly; and the international community—including Africa—must move beyond rhetoric to sustained action.
Recognition without enforcement risks being an empty gesture. But recognition combined with resources, security guarantees, and political will could become a turning point. History is replete with moments where bold declarations changed the course of nations. The question is whether September 22, 2025, will be remembered as such a moment—or as another chapter of missed opportunities.
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And that is where Africa must decide its role. Will we applaud Europe’s boldness, or will we step forward to influence the peace process, while pressing the world to pay equal attention to our own conflicts and quests for justice?
France has chosen its path, declaring: “The time has come.” The challenge for Africa is whether we will echo those words not just for Palestine, but for ourselves as well.
So what should Africans make of this moment?
Nigeria and much of Africa have long sympathised with the Palestinian struggle, shaped by our own histories of colonialism, apartheid, and contested nationhood. Our leaders have consistently expressed solidarity with Palestine in international forums, often framing it as a moral duty tied to our own liberation struggles. Yet we also understand the perils of hollow recognition. Diplomatic statements do not feed hungry children, disarm militias, or rebuild shattered institutions. Without enforceable guarantees for security, humanitarian access, and accountable governance, recognition risks becoming another headline that fades while people in Gaza bury their dead.
Still, dismissing France’s move as mere symbolism misses the point. Recognition can shift international momentum, embolden moderates, and force hard questions: Is the global community finally willing to back words with resources, enforcement, and courage? Or is this just another cycle of lofty declarations while ground realities worsen?
For Africa, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not a remote issue. It has ripple effects on our own security and diplomacy. Across the continent, sectarian tensions often flare in response to events in the Middle East, sometimes spilling into violence in our streets. At the same time, Africa has its own unhealed conflicts—from Sudan to the Sahel, from the Horn of Africa to the Great Lakes region—where questions of recognition, self-determination, and sovereignty echo eerily with Palestine’s plight. If France and its partners can push for justice in Gaza, why does the world remain so indifferent to African conflicts that displace millions?
This is where Africa must resist the temptation of passive applause. Too often, the continent stands by on the sidelines, cheering global powers while having little say in shaping the outcomes. Recognition of Palestine should prompt a different response. Africa can leverage its collective diplomatic weight within the UN, the African Union, and regional blocs to insist that any peace plan in the Middle East reflects lessons from our own experiences with post-conflict reconstruction, power-sharing, and reconciliation.
For instance, Africa has pioneered peacekeeping and transitional justice models that could inform Gaza’s stabilisation. The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), despite its flaws, demonstrated how regional actors can take the lead in containing extremist threats while laying the groundwork for governance. Truth and reconciliation processes in South Africa, Sierra Leone, and Rwanda remind us that peace is not only about territory or borders, but about confronting trauma, restoring dignity, and building inclusive institutions.
More importantly, Africa must ask uncomfortable but necessary questions: If Europe can recognise Palestine as a moral imperative, why can’t Africa demand equal urgency in resolving its own crises? Why should Darfur, Eastern Congo, or the Lake Chad Basin continue to fester in silence while Palestine commands the world’s conscience?
Iroegbu is the Convener of the Geopolitics Series, a platform that analyses global issues from an African context.
