In early June 2025, speculation emerged in international media suggesting that France might move unilaterally to recognize a Palestinian state. This potential diplomatic shift was expected to be formally addressed at a United Nations conference scheduled to take place in New York from June 17 to 20. However, the onset of the Israel-Iran conflict on June 13 led to the subsequent rescheduling of the event to July 28–29. The upcoming UN General Assembly in September will discuss this further.

By mid-July, various media reports suggested that the gathering would be reformatted as a summit rather than a formal conference. Additionally, it was confirmed that neither French President Emmanuel Macron nor Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman would be in attendance, thereby reducing the likelihood of any major announcements being made. Macron’s push for the recognition of a Palestinian state faced resistance from the United States, fully aware of the risks presented by hasty decisions.

In the end, the summit was spearheaded by the French ambassador to the UN, Jerome Bonnafont, who told the Associated Press that an independent Palestinian state would be recognized by over 145 nations. The summit produced a seven-page declaration urging further recognitions, indicated as “essential and…