Announced by President Emmanuel Macron, his intention to recognize the Palestinian kingdom, put great pressure to follow the suit on the Sir Kir starrer.
French are itchy to take these steps for some time.
They were planning to make an announcement a few weeks ago, but were forced to delay after Israel and the US attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities.
At the United Nations General Assembly in September, Macron says, seriously, France is no longer recognizing a Palestinian kingdom – it will do so.
The French hope is that their announcement will be in the meantime diplomatic speed and encouraged other countries to join them.
The French President likes to do bold, dramatic plays on the international stage. But this is a gambling.
In particular, he is relying on the UK to follow his leadership. When Macron visited Parliament a few weeks ago, he told MPs and colleagues that “working together to identify the state of Palestine and start this political moment is the only way for peace”.
A senior French diplomat told me a few days ago that if Britain worked with France, it would convince other countries to join because two parents of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) show that we mean business “. We have other permanent members on America, China and Russia UNSC, in which ten other countries have been selected for two years.
He said: “The best contribution of France and the UK is that by bringing all stakeholders around the table, making commitments for Palestine status and Israel’s protection, start the process again. We have this power, this opportunity is together to resume this process.”
The problem is that the British Prime Minister has been reluctant to take this step in recognizing the Palestinian state so far.
In part, traditional British refers to the British policy. Britain has long argued that the work of recognizing the Palestinian state should not be wasted on what some people see as a gesture politics. A senior source questioned what the French decision would have been in addition to Macron feeling better.
Instead, the authorities argue that this diplomatic card should be used productively to run speed in political disposal for a long time; A lever with which to get a deal on the line.
In other words, Manyata was part of the final game. It is sensitivity to the issue that David Cameron, as Foreign Secretary, Last year rubbed wings When he suggested that recognition may be brought forward as part of a process and not the final step.
But the French decision suggests that they now believe that recognition should not be a platform in a diplomatic sequence, but a trigger to open all of this, continued to have a setback for the status quo demanded by the scale of the human crisis in Israeli interaction and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Britain has been traditionally alert about recognizing the Palestinian state for fear of harassing its colleagues, the US and Israel, who is strongly opposed to such an idea, believing that in his view, a reward for terrorism. The UK has also been reluctant to invest a lot of support in an uncontrolled Palestinian Authority.
So for now the UK is stalling for time. Thursday night, the Prime Minister issued a statement, stating: “We are clear that the state is clear that the state Palestinians have an incestred right. A ceasefire will put us on a path for the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution that guarantees peace and safety for Palestinians and Israelis.”
In other words, there should be very little conflict stop before the recognition is possible.
Foreign Secretary David Lamy told MPs in the International Development Committee last week that Manyata was to be part of a process towards securing two state solutions -a political agreement based on two separate states that protect the rights of Palestinians and the safety of Israel.
“No country has a veto on our decisions,” he said. “It is our decision when and how to identify. I am just talking that you do not get the work of recognition to two states; this is a symbolic function.”
The problem is that, according to Britain officials, the decision has gone from diplomatic region to political. In other words, the government is now under great pressure to work with its MPs.
Whenever the ministers defend the status quo in the House of Commons, they are attacked by MPs to call for recognition. Combined letters to Downing Street are being written by a coalition of retired diplomats and MPs. The Committee on Foreign Affairs has also released a report.
Even joining the cabinet minister. Earlier this week, Health Secretary Wes Streeting told MPs that they hope the international community would “recognize the state of Palestine, while the Palestine would be left to recognize a position of Palestine”. Picked the eyebrows in the Whitehall as the formation was firmly deviated out of the official cabinet position that the recognition should only come at the point of maximum effect “.
Therefore, everyone’s eyes are now on what the British government decides. If it fails to follow the French lead, it can put votes and rebellions well in Parliament well. An official suggested me that it could follow the welfare improvement as the next major issue to trigger a labor backbenth rebellion.
The risk is that, in turn, Britain follows France and is dragged into recognition without any significant diplomatic gains. It would have played a one -time card for low profit.
More than 140 countries around the world have already recognized Palestine as a state. Last year, Ireland, Spain, Norway and Slovenia joined them with minimal impact.
Future political announcements about Palestinian state can be well important. But how much they change the reality in the short term for people on the ground in Gaza is an open question.
