"French President Emmanuel Macron is a good man, but his decision on Palestine carries no weight" – President Donald Trump

"French President Emmanuel Macron is a good man, but his decision on Palestine carries no weight" – President Donald Trump

[Washington, July 26, 2025] — In a landmark move in European history, France has announced that it will officially recognize Palestine as an independent state during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session in September, becoming the first Western member of the UN Security Council to do so. President Emmanuel Macron’s declaration has triggered a fresh wave of diplomatic stir across the Middle East, Europe, and Washington.

France is home to Europe’s largest Muslim and Jewish populations, and in the wake of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the French government, under significant public pressure, made a decision that, while upholding humanitarian values, has also placed the country in a politically contentious position.

However, both Israel and the United States have strongly opposed the move. Officials in Washington and Tel Aviv have claimed that France, through this decision, is effectively “rewarding Hamas.”

In this context, President Donald Trump commented on Friday:

“France’s decision carries no weight.”
“But I will say, Emmanuel Macron is a good man.”

According to analysts, Trump’s remarks simultaneously diminish the significance of the French decision while also extending diplomatic courtesy toward Macron on a personal level.

It is worth noting that in May, France and Saudi Arabia jointly initiated a UN summit aimed at creating a roadmap for Palestinian statehood and ensuring Israel’s security. However, the summit was postponed due to political pressure from the United States and ongoing Israeli military operations.