Overview

• Hebrew broadcaster Kan 11 reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conditioned a visit by President Emmanuel Macron on withdrawing France's planned recognition of a Palestinian state, and the trip was subsequently blocked.
• Macron has signaled he intends to recognize a Palestinian state during the UN General Assembly on September 22, according to French and Israeli reports.
• Former French-Israeli lawmaker Meyer Habib told Israeli media that Macron sought a short visit to Tel Aviv but was turned down, with an Israeli source quoted as saying Israel would not let Macron "have it both ways."
• Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar criticized Macron on X, while French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the initiative secured unprecedented commitments from the Palestinian Authority as well as Arab states and Turkey on steps including excluding Hamas and planning a Gaza stabilization mission.
• Netanyahu recently wrote to Macron alleging the move fueled antisemitism in France, an accusation the French Presidency condemned as "abject" and "erroneous" while asserting France protects its Jewish citizens.