Israel and Palestine: France’s position in eight points

Who does France support?

1. France supports both the Israelis and the Palestinians.

France has strong historical, cultural and human ties with Israel. France was one of the first countries to recognize the new State and establish diplomatic relations with it, as early as 1949. For more than 70 years, France has defended Israel’s right to live in security in its regional environment.

The bilateral relationship between France and Israel is also supported by the presence in Israel of a large French and French-speaking community, while France is home to Europe’s largest Jewish community.

On 7 October 2023, France immediately condemned the Hamas attack and reaffirmed its commitment to fighting terrorism and anti-Semitism. On 7 October 2024, a few weeks after taking office, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot visited the venue of the Nova festival to mark the anniversary of the barbaric attack, paying tribute to all the victims, including the more than 50 French nationals who were murdered.

France also supports the creation of a Palestinian State, living within secure and recognized borders alongside Israel, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States. On 22 September 2025, through the voice of the President of the Republic, France recognized Palestine’s full statehood. the Mission of Palestine in France now has the status of an embassy, led by an ambassador.

Before that, in 1982, François Mitterrand was the first French President to express the goal of creating a Palestinian State before the Knesset. In 2010, France raised the status of the General Delegation of Palestine in France, which became the Mission of Palestine. In November 2012, it then voted in favour of the status of non-member observer State at the United Nations, and in September 2015 for the placing of the Palestinian flag at the UN.

2. France stands on the side of international law.

France calls for compliance with the relevant United Nations resolutions and promotes the two-state solution (United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181), a fair solution regarding refugees (United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194), the end of Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories (UN Security Council Resolution 242) and the preservation of the status of Jerusalem (Security Council Resolutions 476 and 478). On that basis, France calls on both parties to reaffirm their commitment to a negotiated settlement and the two-state solution, and to refrain from any unilateral action undermining the conditions to achieve that.

Settlement-building in the West Bank is illegal under international law, including the fourth Geneva Convention and several United Nations Security Council resolutions. It is a threat to the viability of the two-state solution and an obstacle to just and lasting peace. Security Council Resolution 2334, which was adopted almost unanimously by Member States on 23 December 2016, called on Israel to immediately and completely cease all settlement activities and urged States to distinguish between the territory of the State of Israel and the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.

France therefore regularly condemns the settlement policy which, in 2025, led to the approval of more than 27,900 homes by the Israeli authorities, more than twice as many as in 2023 (12,349).

Concrete measures have been taken at European level with regard to the acceleration of settlement construction, including for differentiated treatment of the territory of the State of Israel and settlements. For example, the labelling of products from Israeli settlements set out in the European Union’s interpretative notice in November 2015 and ruled compliant with European law by the Court of Justice of the European Union on 12 December 2019, is part of this approach. European sanctions on organizations and individuals involved in settlement-building and violence against civilians in the West Bank is another example. On 8 September 2026, France, the United Kingdom, Canada and seven other States decided to establish national measures to prohibit trade in goods originating in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

3. France is committed to stability in the region.

France condemns in the strongest terms all acts of violence and terrorism, and calls upon all parties to combat incitement of hatred. France condemned the 7 October terrorist attacks, the worst anti-Semitic massacre since the Holocaust, in the strongest terms.
It is committed to the security and regional integration of Israel, in a framework that includes the creation of an independent, sovereign and democratic Palestinian State.

What solution does France advocate?

4. The two-state solution is the only solution capable of addressing the legitimate aspirations of both the Israelis and the Palestinians to security, independence, recognition and dignity.

It is with this in mind that France welcomed the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative and its recent reaffirmation. These parameters have been central to France’s efforts in support of the two-state solution in recent months, as embodied by the adoption of the New York Declaration by 142 States on 12 September 2025.

In June 2025, Israeli and Palestinian civil society representatives met for the first time in Paris at the invitation of France. Together, they signed a common text, the Paris Call for the Two-State Solution, affirming their commitment to a negotiated solution based on the coexistence of two States, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security.

The Paris Call is original in nature: rather than a diplomatic conference between governments, it offers a platform for the voices of civil society – citizens, activists, organizations – voices that speak to the reality on the ground and the aspirations of the people.

The mere fact the Israeli and Palestinian representatives agree to come together at the same table, in Paris, to sign a common call for peace, sent a powerful political message – all the more remarkable in the current context marked by violence and distrust.

They reiterated their message in a second Paris Call on 12 June 2026 at the Arab World Institute in Paris, in the presence of Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.

What action is France taking?

5. France supports the creation of an independent, viable and sovereign Palestinian State.

Through intense cooperation, including in the economic, cultural and academic spheres, France is supporting the State of Palestine as it establishes strong and democratic institutions. France is also contributing to Palestinian economic development and particularly the development of its private sector.

Long-standing decentralized cooperation between France and the Palestinians also supports these efforts. Decentralized cooperation is a major driver of the economic and political relations and solidarity between France and Palestine, and some 126 projects 1 are being implemented. In recent years, most projects have involved improving infrastructure and sustainable development (water management, sanitation, heritage conservation, culture, training of local officials, initiatives for young people).

6. France supports the Palestinian people, especially where they are most vulnerable.

France is particularly concerned about the living conditions of Palestinians, which are intrinsically linked to resolution of the conflict.

On 9 November 2023, President Emmanuel Macron convened States and the main humanitarian stakeholders, including the United Nations and NGOs at a first international humanitarian conference for Gaza’s civilian population. The conference aimed to provide a response from the international community to the needs of the Palestinian people and to unite international support.

France is first and foremost committed to addressing the humanitarian emergency. Our humanitarian assistance notably includes voluntary contributions to humanitarian agencies and humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and our participation in EU joint assistance for the Palestinian territories.

In the Gaza Strip, France supports the population in a number of areas, such as food aid and health, and through the presence of the Institut Français in Gaza, the only foreign cultural centre there, although it is now closed.

The Agence Française de Développement (AFD, French Development Agency) has funded around 80 projects, 13 of which have concerned water and sanitation. These projects have provided or improved drinking water services for 800,000 people.

7. France encourages inter-Palestinian reconciliation.

Inter-Palestinian reconciliation should enable the Palestinian Authority to fully exercise its prerogatives in the Gaza Strip, including in the field of security. Crucial for redesigning the political future, inter-Palestinian reconciliation is also urgently needed to improve the living conditions of people in the Gaza Strip and to ensure the security of the territory and its borders.

France underlines, moreover, the need for Hamas, which is on the list of terrorist organizations of the European Union, to be excluded from Palestinian governance permanently.

In accordance with the commitments made by President Mahmoud Abbas in his 9 June 2025 letter to President Emmanuel Macron and to Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the Palestinian Authority will organize general and presidential elections enabling the full expression of the democratic will of the Palestinian people.

8. France is ready to do everything it can to enable resumption of a credible political process.

France remains ready to support any initiative that is in line with international law and based on negotiation. France maintains contact with both Israeli and Palestinian parties, to help ensure the continued viability of the two-state solution on the ground and enable a resumption of negotiations. International actors, the permanent members of the Security Council, and European and regional partners, have a role to play in restoring a political horizon.