Macron bickers with Rubio on whether recognizing Palestinian state helps Hamas

Published September 19, 2025 2:39pm ET



French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday rebuffed the United States’s argument that offering support for a Palestinian state undermines attempts to end the war in Gaza.

Macron’s decision this summer to recognize a Palestinian state prompted Secretary of State Marco Rubio to issue a warning that the “reckless” move disincentivized Hamas from making a deal with Israel to end the war in Gaza. 

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