(The original Turkish version of this article was published by the Platform: Current Muslim Affairs on August 22, 2025)
Following October 7, the unconditional support given to Israel in Europe began to shift due to public reaction and international pressure. While several countries recognized Palestine in 2024, statements from France and the United Kingdom in 2025 marked a historical turning point. These developments represent a significant step toward preserving Palestine’s sovereignty and contributing to global peace.
Introduction
Immediately following the October 7 Al-Aqsa Flood Operation, both the individual foreign policies of EU member states and the overarching foreign policy of the EU were positioned around offering full and unconditional support to Israel. Although Israel’s genocidal actions had been ongoing prior to October 7, as attacks intensified and gained greater visibility after October 7, shifts in the rhetoric and stances of several European countries began to emerge in a short time. The foundational values of European countries, mass demonstrations by citizens who believe in these values, the principled stances of certain European nations, and the decisions of the International Criminal Court rendered a shift in attitude inevitable for other European states as well. Consequently, the number of European states recognizing Palestine increased in 2024. The announcements made by France and the United Kingdom in July 2025 regarding the recognition of Palestine generated significant international attention.
Post-October 7 France: Unconditional Support to Israel
The German Chancellor was the first leader to make a solidarity visit to Israel after October 7. Scholz, both during and after his visit, stated that Israel’s security is a matter of state rationale for Germany, and defending it is a duty and responsibility for the country (“Scholz: İsrail’in güvenliği”, 2023). During Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s visit, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office shared with the public that Rutte expressed happiness at being in Israel; Netanyahu, meeting with Rutte, noted that the Netherlands is a great friend of Israel (“Hamas iki rehineyi”, 2023). Although not an EU member, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, a prominent European nation, also visited Israel and stated that they were proud to support Israel (“İngiltere Başbakanı Sunak”, 2023). EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who was among the first figures to visit Israel, expressed unconditional support for Israel and maintained this backing throughout the subsequent period (Rasqunhio, 2024). Greece was another key nation to declare support for Israel, with Prime Minister Mitsotakis stating, “I come here not just as an ally, but as a true friend” (Psaropoulos, 2023). In addition to individual statements from the US and European nations, European countries also backed Israel through joint declarations signed together. It should be noted that Italy also joined these joint statements (“Altı ülkeden İsrail’e”, 2023).
In October 2023, amid declarations of support for Israel by European states, Spain took a sharp stance against Israel’s attacks targeting civilians and criticized the sanction decisions against Palestine taken within the EU. Within the institutional framework of the EU, the stance of High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell also diverged notably from the institutional decisions of the EU and its member states. From the very beginning, Borrell was among the prominent figures criticizing both Israel’s attacks and the EU’s policies.
France’s initial approach aligned with the general European consensus. Visiting Israel 18 days after October 7, French President Macron approached the issue through the lens of counter-terrorism, stating that Israel was not left alone (“İsrail’e giden Macron”, 2023). In statements made in November 2023, while Macron reiterated unconditional support for Israel’s right to self-defense, he simultaneously raised concern over civilian casualties and children dying in Gaza, calling for a humanitarian ceasefire (Taşkın, 2023).
Shift in France’s Stance: From Supporting Israel to Recognizing Palestine
Following October 7, as Israeli attacks intensified, targeting civilians-especially children-en masse, as starvation was weaponized, and as the genocide continued uninterrupted, massive waves of protest demonstrations against Israel were organized across many European cities by civil society organizations, sports fan groups, and broad masses of people. Various protest demonstrations across Europe also brought about discussions regarding the potential resurgence of anti-Semitism in Europe.
France was one of the countries that witnessed intense protests against Israel. From the outset, opposition parties, the public, NGOs, and sports clubs in France expressed strong reactions against both Israel and Macron’s policy of supporting Israel. The mayor of Gennevilliers stated that he was ashamed of the attitude of France and its government (Taşkın, 2023). During the UEFA Nations League match between France and Israel, protests were directed at both Israel and Macron, who attended the match, both during and after the game (“Fransa – İsrail maçında”, 2024). Despite the French government’s attempts to curb and prevent demonstrations through measures such as banning rallies, opening investigations against fans, fining participants, and shutting down organizing NGOs, the protests persisted (Taşkın, 2025). France’s harsh stance toward protesters also drew criticism from Amnesty International. In a public statement, Amnesty International urged France to end its crackdown on pro-Palestinian demonstrations (Turp, 2024).
The persistent and intense nature of Israeli attacks on civilians, along with the referral of the issue to the International Criminal Court under the scope of genocide, gradually induced a shift in the rhetoric and policies of European leaders and states. France was one of the key countries where this shift occurred. On the first anniversary of October 7, Macron’s call for an arms embargo on Israel sparked tensions in Israeli-French relations, accompanied by sharp exchanges between the two sides (Taşkın, 2024). Macron’s critical statements regarding Israel continued in the following months.
Amid Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, France hosted a conference in Paris titled “Support for the Lebanese People and Sovereignty,” attended by 70 countries and numerous international organizations, where Macron accused Netanyahu of “sowing barbarism” in his speech (Yiğit, 2024). France became the first European country visited by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. During this visit, Macron’s remark, “I do not believe you can ensure your own security by violating the territorial integrity of your neighbors,” left a defining mark on the meeting (Yiğit & Taşkın, 2025). During the Israel-Iran war that broke out in June 2025, Macron declared support for Israel but clarified that this support was neither unconditional nor unlimited (“Macron’dan destek gecikmedi”, 2025).
Finally, on July 24, Macron made another landmark announcement, declaring that France would officially recognize Palestine as a state in September. This latest move by Macron resonated significantly on the global stage. US President Trump responded to the declaration by downplaying Macron and stating that it carried “no weight,” while the US Secretary of State offered a harsher rebuke, expressing that he “strongly rejected” the decision and claiming it “served Hamas.”
A Symbolic Decision Against Israel: The Release of Georges Abdallah
Around the time Macron made this historic announcement and drew harsh reactions from the US and Israel, France simultaneously took another symbolically significant decision concerning Israel and the US. On July 17, the Paris Court of Appeal decided to release Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, a prominent figure in the struggle against Israel. The 74-year-old Georges Abdallah, who had been imprisoned for 41 years after being sentenced to life imprisonment in 1987 over alleged complicity in the 1982 assassination of an American and an Israeli diplomat in Paris (Taşkın, 2025), was released from prison on July 25—just one day after Macron’s announcement of recognition. Following his release, Abdallah traveled to Lebanon, where he was greeted as a hero. Upon landing in Lebanon, Abdallah targeted Israel and silent Arab nations while still at the airport, calling for resistance against Israel by stating, “Israel is living the final scenes of its existence” (Tuncer, 2025).
The release of Georges Abdallah—one of the leaders of the pro-Palestinian Marxist-Leninist Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Factions (LARF) and known as one of the longest-serving political prisoners in Europe (“Lübnanlı Devrimci”, 2025)—displeased the United States. In a post on platform X, the spokesperson for the US Department of State stated, “The US opposes the French government’s release and deportation to Lebanon of convicted terrorist Georges Ibrahim Abdallah. His release threatens the safety of US diplomats abroad and does a grave injustice to the victims and families of those who lost their lives” (“Georges Abdullah, ABD’yi”, 2025).
Conclusion
In the face of Israel’s acts of genocide, anti-Israel sentiment among the European public has steadily risen. Over time, the rhetoric and policies of European states regarding Israel also began to shift. France stands out as one of the key countries where this transformation manifested. France progressed from offering unconditional support to Israel to the stage of officially recognizing Palestine.
Although France’s announcement is a belated decision within the historical context of the Palestinian cause, it holds major significance for the future. Indeed, closely following France, the United Kingdom also issued a declaration of recognition on July 29. This declaration by France, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, also marks a precedent among UNSC permanent members.
Declared an independent state in 1988, Palestine achieved “non-member observer state” status at the UN in 2012. Currently, 147 of the 197 UN member/observer states recognize Palestine. Ten of these 147 countries are EU members. In the period following October 7, Norway, Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia recognized Palestine in 2024. Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Romania had recognized Palestine prior to joining the EU. The recognition declarations of France and the UK will further increase the number of European states recognizing Palestine.
From another perspective, Israel’s raising of the issue of declaring sovereignty over the West Bank following France’s recognition declaration represents a crucial breaking point. Netanyahu’s statements during his meeting with Trump, which imply the permanent occupation of Gaza, serve as clear indicators of Israel’s ultimate objective regarding Palestine. Israel’s rhetoric and actions disrupt regional and global balances as well as peace; the threat to regional and global security continues to escalate. In this context, France’s decision to recognize Palestine also serves the purpose of preventing Israel from completely eradicating Palestinian sovereignty.
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*Opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Platform: Current Muslim Affairs’ editorial policy.
