Israel Attempts to Pressure France to Refrain from Recognizing Palestine

Israel has tried to exert pressure on France to prevent it from recognizing the state of Palestine. According to Reuters, citing sources, Israel has threatened to reduce intelligence sharing and may consider annexing part of Palestinian territory.

On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Paris would officially recognize the state of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September. French officials have indicated that Israel has been pressuring Macron for months to prevent this recognition.

The warnings issued by Israel to France included a reduction in intelligence data sharing, obstruction of Paris's regional initiatives, and even allusions to a possible annexation of parts of the West Bank.

According to French officials, Paris has determined that Netanyahu will act independently regarding the West Bank issue, regardless of whether France recognizes Palestine or not.