Macron seeks global leadership with Gaza initiative at UN, pushes Palestinian statehood and multinational force

NEW YORK — As world leaders gather for the United Nations General Assembly, French President Emmanuel Macron is positioning France as a counterweight to the U.S.-led order by pushing a pair of bold gambits in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: recognition of a Palestinian state and the creation of a multinational force to take over from the Israeli Defense Forces the day after a Gaza war ends.

In interviews and public remarks, Macron has framed the UN gathering as a stage for France to shape a new international architecture. He has argued that recognizing a Palestinian state would revive a political horizon to the conflict, a stance at odds with the stance of the United States and Israel at times during the Gaza war. Macron’s comments come as European capitals weigh how far to go in endorsing statehood for the Palestinians and in signaling different postwar security arrangements in Gaza.

In a televised interview with Israel’s Channel 12, Macron said, "We have to recognize the legitimate right of Palestinian people to have a state," and he added that without a political perspective, Palestinians could be left to those proposing only a security approach. He also denounced Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza City as "absolutely unacceptable" and "a huge mistake." The remarks underscore Macron’s push to frame recognition as a necessary step toward a revived two-state framework, even as Washington and Riyadh have urged caution and security-first approaches.

More than 145 countries already recognize Palestine, and several European allies—including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Malta, Belgium and Luxembourg—are expected to follow France’s lead in the coming days, according to assessments cited by the outlets covering the UN General Assembly and regional diplomacy.

Analysts say Macron is trying to craft a narrative in which France—describing itself as a middle European power—offers an alternative to the U.S.-China strategic duopoly. "Macron’s policy on the Israel-Palestine conflict reflects his broader ambitions on France’s foreign policy, that is, the idea that the country, as a middle European power, can offer an alternative to the U.S.-China competition," said Jean-Loup Samaan, a senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute. "In this specific case, Macron believes that his push for a Palestinian state will increase French credibility in the Arab world and the so-called ‘Global South.’"

The plan Macron has floated for a Gaza-era multinational force would be modeled on UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, where France has long played a leading role. The idea envisions an international corps to assume postwar security duties in Gaza the day after the fighting ends and the IDF completes its withdrawal. But the proposal faces multiple hurdles: it would require French resources, parliamentary approval in France, and acceptance from Israel and the United States, not to mention broad international consensus. Critics warn that past UN missions have struggled to curb militant groups and that a French-led force could become entangled in a conflict with no clear exit strategy.

Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, argued that the UN peacekeeping experience in Lebanon offers a cautionary note. "If you want to know how UN-sponsored peacekeepers do with terrorist groups in the region, we have a 20-year case study in UNIFIL, which enabled rather than denied Hezbollah the ability to grow into a massive military threat," Goldberg told Fox News Digital. He added that Macron’s push appears tied to domestic political calculations and France’s historic equities in Lebanon, but he stressed that the perceived credibility of such moves depends on real delivery, not rhetoric.

Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust, called Macron’s maneuvering "a blatant power-grab" and warned that the pledge of a Palestinian state could be viewed as a shortcut that undercuts a negotiated peace if it is not anchored in a credible political process.

The push also comes amid ongoing domestic political tensions in France over debt and deficit management. Samaan noted that foreign policy is not the driving concern of the day for most French voters; rather, the country is grappling with fiscal challenges. "I think Macron’s initiative on Palestine has more to do with his personal aspirations in terms of legacy. He’ll leave office in 2027," Samaan said.

Just days before Macron’s UN push, former U.S. President Donald Trump held talks with British ally Tony Blair and Jared Kushner to discuss Gaza’s future and was set to meet Arab leaders on the day after, according to Fox News Digital. The overlapping diplomacy fed speculation that Macron is trying to outmaneuver Trump on the world stage by presenting himself as the voice of statesmanship on the Palestinian question.

The prospects for a Gaza multinational force depend on a host of political variables. In Paris, critics from the far left and far right have signaled opposition to a new UN-style security mission that would multiply France’s security commitments abroad. In Washington and Jerusalem, officials have cautioned that recognition of a Palestinian state could complicate security arrangements and potentially embolden extremist factions if not paired with robust security and diplomatic initiatives. Supporters argue that a clear political horizon is essential to stabilize the region and revive a political solution to the conflict, rather than leaving both sides in a cycle of violence and ad hoc international interventions.

As the UN General Assembly proceedings unfold, Macron’s proposals are sure to be a focal point of debate among Western and regional allies, who weigh the implications for diplomacy, regional security, and the legitimacy of a revived two-state framework. The coming weeks will test whether France can translate a high-profile diplomatic gambit into concrete steps on the ground or whether the plan remains a strategic display without practical leverage in a volatile environment.