France’s Shocking Shift: Siding with Jihadists?

France just took a sledgehammer to any remaining credibility it had in Middle East diplomacy. On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state this September during the United Nations General Assembly. This announcement, coming hours after Hamas sabotaged yet another ceasefire deal, reveals the moral rot at the heart of European foreign policy and its eagerness to reward terror over truth.

Let’s be clear: Macron is not promoting peace—he’s emboldening jihadists. He claims this move is part of a “just and lasting peace,” but what kind of justice rewards the very people who orchestrated the October 7th massacre of over 1,000 innocent Israelis? What kind of “lasting peace” can be built on the diplomatic recognition of a regime that has rejected every single opportunity for peace over the last 75 years?

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett summed it up perfectly: “Macron’s recognition of a Palestinian state after the October 7th massacre isn’t diplomacy; it’s moral collapse. It rewards mass murder and tells Islamist terrorists: kill Jews, and the world will hand you a state.” That’s exactly what this is—a dangerous signal to Hamas and its backers that terrorism works.

Let’s not forget the context. Macron made this announcement just as talks for a ceasefire and hostage deal fell apart—again—because Hamas refused to act in good faith. According to U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, “It is a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way.” Selfish? That’s an understatement. Hamas isn’t interested in peace; they’re committed to Israel’s destruction. And yet, Europe’s response is to hand them the political prize they’ve always sought.

Macron tried to dress this up with buzzwords—demilitarization, humanitarian aid, viability—but the core message is unmistakable: France is choosing to side with a Palestinian Authority that hasn’t held elections in nearly two decades and has zero control over Gaza, which remains under Hamas domination. Mahmoud Abbas, the supposed president of this imaginary state, is in year 20 of a four-year term. That’s not democracy—it’s dictatorship with a Western seal of approval.

And here’s the kicker: there has never been a Palestinian state. Not before 1948. Not under Jordanian or Egyptian control. Not since. The land in question—Judea and Samaria, historically and biblically Jewish—has always been central to Israel’s identity. More than 500,000 Israelis live there today. Macron isn’t endorsing peace. He’s endorsing a fantasy—and one that erases Jewish history in the process.

Israel, to its credit, is not backing down. In response to Macron’s announcement, the Israeli Knesset passed a strong resolution affirming Israel’s right to sovereignty over Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley. The vote wasn’t even close—71 to 13. The resolution clearly states that “the State of Israel has a natural, historical, and legal right to the entirety of the Land of Israel.” That’s the language of strength, not surrender.

And Israeli Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich put it bluntly: “I thank President Macron for providing yet another compelling reason to finally apply Israeli sovereignty over the historic regions of Judea and Samaria.” In other words, if the international community continues to pander to terrorists, Israel will do what it must to protect its people and its future.

Here in the United States, we should be doing the same. Under President Trump’s leadership, America stands firmly with Israel. We moved our embassy to Jerusalem, recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and brokered the historic Abraham Accords. That’s what real diplomacy looks like—peace through strength, not capitulation to killers.

Macron can play pretend on the world stage all he wants. But history will remember who stood with civilization and who caved to savagery. France just chose the wrong side. Again.