French President Emmanuel Macron was likely motivated to declare his intent to recognize Palestine by a desire to quell Islamic separatism in his own country. The decision, announced on Thursday, is a break from the ranks of the European establishment,

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Saturday that recognising the State of Palestine before it is established could be counterproductive.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Macron’s move, claiming it would risk “creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became”, which would be a “launch pad to annihilate Israel”.