JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL

France’s decision to recognize the State of Palestine has sparked an intense backlash from Israel’s right-wing parties, prompting calls for the annexation of the occupied West Bank, the closure of the French consulate in Jerusalem, and an appeal for French Jews to emigrate to Israel.

President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday that France will formally recognize Palestinian statehood during the upcoming UN General Assembly session in September. Several European countries—including Sweden, Spain, Norway, Ireland, Slovenia, and Armenia—have already taken similar steps. But Israeli officials see France’s move as a potential tipping point toward broader recognition within the European Union.

Annexation push intensifies

Justice Minister Yariv Levin said the time has come to impose Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank and Jordan Valley, calling it “a just and historic response to Macron’s disgraceful decision.”

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich echoed the call, stating on X: “President Macron has handed us another clear reason to fully assert our sovereignty over Judea and Samaria and reject the delusional notion of a Palestinian state in the heart of our homeland.”

The Yesha Council, which represents illegal Israeli settlers in the West Bank, called for immediate action.

“The Knesset has spoken. Now it’s time for the government to act. Failing to do so would pose an existential threat to Israel,” the group said in a statement.

On Wednesday, Israel’s parliament passed a symbolic resolution rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River, describing it as a “threat to Israel’s existence and regional stability.”

Calls to shut French consulate

Likud lawmaker Dan Illouz on Friday urged Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to immediately close France’s consulate in Jerusalem, accusing it of acting as “a de facto embassy to the Palestinian Authority inside Israel’s capital.”

“In the face of France’s unilateral endorsement of a Palestinian fantasy, Israel must respond with concrete sovereign action,” Illouz said. “No more appeasement of the international community. It’s time to shape reality, not surrender to it.”

Israel previously restricted the operations of the Spanish consulate in Jerusalem after Madrid recognized Palestine in May.

Appeal to French Jews

Immigration and Absorption Minister Ofir Sofer called on French Jews to relocate to Israel, saying the government is preparing “new and expanded programs” to support their integration.

“There are between 450,000 and 550,000 Jews in France. To them I say: this is your home — the State of Israel,” Sofer wrote on X.

US opposition

The United States also voiced opposition to France’s decision. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the move “undermines peace efforts and serves Hamas propaganda,” calling it a “reckless decision” in a post on X.

Macron’s message to Palestinian president

In a letter to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Macron wrote: “It is my honor to confirm that, based on the commitments you have made, France will fully recognize the State of Palestine during my address at the UN General Assembly in September.”

He added: “France intends to make a decisive contribution to peace in the Middle East and will work with all international partners willing to take part.”

Since October 2023, Israel has killed more than 59,700 Palestinians -- most of them women and children -- in the Gaza Strip. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, collapsed its health system, and led to widespread food shortages.

In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its war on the enclave.