Elizabeth Bryant
DW, Aug. 1, 2025
“It’s an opportunistic decision. It cements the divorce with the Jewish community in France, considerably chills relations with Israel and the United States and reinforces Hamas.”
Mohammed Iriqat has witnessed first-hand France’s shifting stance on the crisis in the Gaza Strip, from the taunts he once received for wearing a kaffiyeh, a scarf symbolizing Palestinian solidarity, to being part of widespread protests as the devastating war in the Palestinian enclave grinds on.
Now, the Paris-based Palestinian law student is experiencing yet another shift after President Emmanuel Macron announced on July 24 that France will recognize Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly in September.
“It’s very symbolic, but ultimately important,” Iriqat, 30, said of the statehood recognition, even as he prefers tougher options like boycotts and sanctions against Israel. Still, he added that the move “will build on others for a new era.”
Iriqat’s response echoes the fractured reaction in France to Macron’s statehood announcement, which has sharply divided France’s political class and deepened tensions between its Jewish and Muslim communities, Western Europe’s largest. Both have seen a sharp uptick in attacks since the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted nearly two years ago. Even with a split on the statehood recognition, both faiths also worry their fraying ties may further erode.
“The war has ended many relationships, both among leaders and among the population,” Gerard Unger, vice president of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (CRIF), told DW. “The two sides hardly speak anymore. Each side is aware that if they do, each will declare it’s a victim.” ….SOURCE