Overview

• The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem said the French president is not welcome for now, issuing the statement after a call between Gideon Saar and Jean-Noël Barrot.
• Officials said Macron could visit only if France distances itself from recognizing a Palestinian state.
• Macron indicated in late July that he intended to formally announce recognition during this month’s UN General Assembly.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office denounced the planned recognition as a “reward for terror.”
• Nearly 150 UN member states already recognize Palestine, and recent reports cite additional European governments weighing similar steps in September.