Author: Jadenne Radoc Cabahug
French President Emmanuel Macron met with Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority, in Paris on Tuesday, November 11th, after a US-brokered agreement resulted in a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on October 9th. The two heads met to discuss solidifying a “full implementation” of the Gaza ceasefire agreement as well as France’s initiative to launch a joint committee to draft a new Palestinian constitution.
France formally recognized Palestine as a state in the United Nations General Assembly conference in New York on September 22, 2025, with other major countries like the U.K., Canada, Australia, Belgium and Portugal following. As of September 2025, 157 out of 193 UN member states recognize Palestine.
Macron said the declaration “takes nothing away from the rights of the people of Israel, who France supported from day one,” in the meeting co-chaired with Saudi Arabia. France is also pushing for a “stabilization mission” in Gaza and calling for a transitional administration with the Palestinian Authority, a governing body that has overseen Palestinian regions in the West Bank as well as the dismantlement of Hamas, a Palestinian militant group designated as a terrorist organization by much of the western world including France.
The move angered Israel with President Benjamin Netanyahu saying “I have a clear message to those leaders who recognize a Palestinian state after the horrific massacre of October 7: you are giving a huge reward to terrorism,” referring to the Hamas-led attack that killed at least 1,200 people and took 251 hostage on October 7th, 2023.
The U.S. is against the decision made by its allies, and has denied and revoked visas of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other officials, effectively barring them from attending the U.N. General Assembly. Abbas has welcomed recognition, stating it would create a road for the “State of Palestine to live side by side with the State of Israel in security, peace and good neighbourliness.”
President Donald Trump addressed the UN on September 23, largely criticizing allies that recognized Palestine as a state, and said this move was “rewarding terrorism”.
Although Trump met with regional leaders from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, the United Emirates and Jordan to push for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, he chose not to attend the one-day summit co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, and leaders from Germany and Italy were absent.
What does state recognition mean?
Recognizing a Palestinian state is more of a symbolic decision, representing a moral and political statement. However, it will not have an immediate or swift impact. State recognition could include broader implications like leading to partnerships with other states on equal footing as well as potential for the creation of an embassy, which France has promised on the condition of the release of hostages.
The aim of state recognition was to put pressure on Israel to end the assault on Gaza earlier in the conflict, halt further Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and to have a peace process with the end goal of two-states, according to Reuters.
Why now?
At least 65,000 Palestinians were killed in Gaza with more than 165,000 injured, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The war reached a turning point mid October, resulting in an Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage deal brokered by Trump.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stated the decision to recognize Palestinian statehood aided in bringing about the ceasefire deal. He also said the deal provided a “moment of profound relief” and made a tribute to hostages and civilians killed in Gaza. The UK will now be providing £20 million in humanitarian aid in water, sanitation and hygiene products, according to the BBC.
With the acknowledgement from the U.K. and France, Palestine now has the support of four out of the five permanent U.N. Security Council members (France, the US, the UK, China and Russia). China and Russia already recognized Palestine in 1988. The U.S. is the only remaining member that does not recognize Palestine and has the power to veto. In order for Palestine to become a full member of the U.N., they need unanimous approval from all five permanent states. In the meantime, they’re able to attend the UN General Assembly as an “Observer state”, but without voting power.
The U.S. has said in the past that it could recognize a Palestinian state, but only if negotiations for a two-state solution pass with Israel. No negotiations between the two have taken place since 2014, and the current American presidential administration has taken a strong stance against state recognition.
Most of these nations allied with Israel at the beginning of the October 7 attacks, but have since changed their position due to the continued loss of human life and military advancement as well as increasingly publicized claims of genocide by Amnesty and later the UN.
Before the ceasefire, international pressure was coming down on world leaders due to images and videos of starving children, the rising death toll, expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the inability to stop Israel’s continued military campaign in the region.
In mid September, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory concluded that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians, and is calling to hold those responsible accountable. “The Commission has been investigating the events on and since 7 October 2023 for the last two years, and concluded that Israeli authorities and Israeli security forces committed four of the five genocidal acts defined by the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.”
FR BELOW
La semaine dernière, le Président de l’Autorité Palestinienne Mahmoud Abbas a été reçu par le Président de la République Emmanuel Macron, près de deux mois après la reconnaissance de la Palestine par la France.
Le Président de la République Emmanuel Macron a reçu le Président de l’Autorité Palestinienne Mahmoud Abbas mardi 11 novembre dernier à Paris, plus d’un mois après le plan de paix américain qui a permis un cessez-le-feu à Gaza. Ils ont discuté de la « pleine application » du cessez-le-feu, et ont annoncé la création d’un comité conjoint chargé de rédiger une nouvelle constitution palestinienne.
La France a officiellement reconnu la Palestine lors de l’assemblée générale des Nations Unies le 22 septembre 2025 à New York. Plusieurs pays ont fait de même, comme le Royaume-Uni, la Belgique, le Portugal, le Canada et l’Australie, faisant monter à 157 (sur 193) le nombre d’États membres des de l’ONU qui reconnaissent la Palestine.
« Cette reconnaissance est une manière d’affirmer que le peuple palestinien n’est pas un peuple en trop », a annoncé Macron, ajoutant affirmer cela « au nom de notre amitié avec Israël, à qui notre engagement n’a jamais fait défaut ». Remettant la solution à deux états sur la table, il a appelé à ce que le Hamas, une groupe militant Palestinien désigné comme terroriste par la France, dépose les armes et libère les otages afin d’ouvrir une ambassade en Palestine.
« J’ai un message pour ces dirigeants. Lorsque les terroristes les plus sauvages qui soient saluent vos décisions, c’est que vous n’avez pas fait quelque chose de juste, mais quelque chose de mal », a rétorqué le Premier ministre israélien Benjamin Netanyahou, en référence aux attaques terroristes du Hamas contre Israël le 7 octobre 2023, qui ont tué 1.200 personnes et pris 251 en otage.
Pour leur part, les États-Unis ont déclaré ne pas reconnaitre l’État palestinien. Pour le président américain Donald Trump, reconnaître l’État palestinien serait une recompense pour le Hamas et pour les terroristes. Il a insisté aussi sur la libération des otages. Avec plusieurs dirigeants des pays de la région – l’Égypte, la Jordanie, l’Arabie saoudite, le Qatar, les Émirats arabes unis, la Turquie, l’Indonésie et le Pakistan – Trump a préféré discuter de son plan d’action pour mettre fin à la guerre à Gaza, quelques jours avant de finaliser un accord de paix entre Israël et le Hamas.
Trump, comme ses homologues allemand et italien, a donc choisi de ne pas se rendre au sommet organisé par la France et l’Arabie Saoudite.
Les visas du Président de l’État de Palestine Mahmoud Abbas, et de plusieurs dirigeants palestiniens, ont été refusés, ce qui ne leur a pas permis d’entrer sur le territoire étastunien et de participer à l’assemblée générale de l’ONU. Le président palestinien s’est exprimé par visioconférence.
Celui-ci a salué l’annonce de la reconnaissance de la Palestine et affirmé qu’il veillera « au droit du peuple palestinien à l’autodétermination, à la liberté et à l’indépendance », et qu’il « ouvrira la voie à la mise en œuvre de la solution à deux États, permettant à l’État palestinen, de vivre aux côtés de l’État d’Israël dans la sécurité, la paix et la bonne entente ».
La reconnaissance, oui mais pourquoi ?
La reconnaissance de l’État palestinien est avant tout une position symbolique, une déclaration politique et morale sans impact immédiat. Mais à plus long terme, elle pourrait permettre l’établissement de partenariats et de relations formelles avec d’autres pays, ainsi que la création d’une ambassade, ce que la France a promis à condition que les otages israéliens soient libérés.
Selon Reuters, l’objectif de cette reconnaissance était alors de faire pression sur l’État d’Israël pour qu’il mette fin à l’assaut contre Gaza, qu’il cesse la construction de nouvelles colonies juives en Cisjordanie occupée et qu’il engage un processus de paix visant à aboutir à la création de deux États.
Pourquoi maintenant?
D’après le bureau de la coordination des affaires humanitaires des Nations Unies, au moins 65 000 Palestiniens ont été tués et plus de 165 000 ont été blessés.
Le premier ministre Keir Starmer a déclaré que la décision de reconnaître l’État de Palestine a permis l’aboutissement d’un cessez-un-feu plus tard. Il a ajouté que l’accord a offert « un moment de profond soulagement », et a dédié un hommage aux otages israéliens et aux civils tués à Gaza. Selon la BBC, le Royaume-Uni fournira 20 millions de livres en aide humanitaire sous forme de produits liés à l’eau, à l’assainissement et à l’hygiène.
Quelques mois avant le cessez-un-feu, les images et vidéos sur les reseaux sociaux des enfants palestiniens souffrant de malnutrition, les accusations de génocide à l’encontre d’Israël et l’intensification de l’expansion de colonies israéliennes en Cisjordanie ont poussé les chefs du monde à discuter d’une solution à deux États.
Avec le soutien du Royaume-Uni et de la France, la Palestine est désormais reconnue par 4 des 5 membres permanents du Conseil de sécurité. La Chine et la Russie reconnaissent l’État de Palestine depuis 1988. Les États-Unis sont le seul membre qui ne reconnaît pas à ce jour la Palestine, et son pouvoir de veto empêche la Palestine de devenir un membre des Nations Unies à part entière. En attendant, il peuvent participer à l’assemblée générale des Nations Unies en tant qu’état observateur, sans droit de vote.
Les États-Unis ont annoncé ne vouloir reconnaître l’État palestinien que si des négociations avec Israël sur une solution à deux États aboutissaient. La dernière négociation sur ce sujet entre la Palestine et Israël date de 2014, et l’administration américaine actuelle s’oppose fermement à cette reconnaissance.
Au début du conflit entre Israël et le Hamas, la plupart de ces pays soutenaient Israël. Mais à cause du bilan humain, des violations du droit international par l’armée israélienne et des accusations grandissantes de génocide par Amnesty puis par l’ONU, ils ont depuis changé leurs positions.
Mi-septembre, la Commission d’enquête internationale indépendante des Nations Unies sur les territoires palestiniens occupés a conclu qu’Israël a commis un génocide contre les Palestiniens, et appelé à tenir les acteurs responsables. « La Commission a enquêté sur les événements depuis le 7 octobre 2023 et elle a conclut que les autorités d’Israël ont commis quatre de cinq actes de génocide qui ont été définis par la Convention pour la prévention et la répression du crime de génocide des Nations unies en 1948 ».
]]>Author: Jadenne Radoc Cabahug
Charlie Kirk, CEO and co-founder of conservative youth organization Turning Point USA was shot and killed during a debate style event at Utah Valley University on September 10.
Videos were immediately posted to social media of the moment the podcaster was shot in the neck, with the chaos of students screaming and fleeing the scene following immediately after.
The right-wing American activist and influencer led the effort to engage young Americans as leader of Turning Point USA, an organization that pushed for conservative ideas aiming to reach college campuses, typically more liberally.
Kirk would debate with “woke college students” while asserting beliefs such as “abortion is murder and should be illegal” and “Kamala Harris is a DEI candidate.”
One YouTube video titled “1 Conservative vs 25 Liberal College Students (Feat. Charlie Kirk) | Surrounded” garnered 38 million views. His conservatism enraged and inspired college students alike through his efforts.
22-year-old Tyler James Robinson is accused of 31-year-old Kirk’s killing and has been charged with capital murder, a felony discharge of a firearm and obstructing justice. Robinson has also been charged with witness tampering after telling his partner to delete text messages and stay silent if questioned by authorities. Prosecutors are currently seeking the death penalty for Robinson.
Kirk’s death has had a profound ripple through the political world, garnering mixed reactions globally, from President Trump ordering flags on government buildings be flown at half-mast, to vigils being held for the conservative podcaster in places like Australia and South Korea.
Trump has called Kirk a “martyr for America’s freedom” during a memorial service held on September 21st. Some politicians in the Republican party have used Kirk’s death to rally younger conservatives for upcoming local, state and even the national midterm elections taking place a little over a year.
However, for some Americans like Theresa Bennett, a global environmental policy exchange student at Sciences Po, she hadn’t heard about Kirk before his death.
“One friend texted me that Charlie Kirk got killed, and I was thinking, ‘Man, who is that?’ After learning more about who he was, I don’t think that’s crazy at all. I didn’t have a big reaction to it, not because I don’t care about him or because of his views, I’m so numb to violence especially as an American,” Bennett said.
Originally from New York state, Bennett said constantly seeing domestic and international news on social media feeds has caused her to see violence as an everyday norm. As she was preparing to leave for Paris from Washington D.C., martial law was put in effect and she saw the troops arriving in the city.
“Compassion fatigue is a very real thing when you’re constantly getting exposed to horrible tragedies, it just gets to a point where you’re so desensitized to it and you’re not as impacted,” Bennett said. “Like with this ongoing genocide in Gaza and being exposed to horrific images and stories of what’s been going on everyday… I feel more impacted by that, even though it’s been going on for so long than I do by hearing some random guy has been shot and killed in the U.S.”
Bennett said she thinks the mixed reactions to Kirk’s death shows how polarized the U.S. and the rest of the world is at the moment.
“People identify with someone like Charlie Kirk that belonged to the far right and they see his death as a threat to themselves,” Bennett said. “I can’t help but wonder, is it really just about teams? Why wasn’t the flag raised at half mast for the state senator that was assassinated? She, her husband and her dog were killed and Trump didn’t speak on that.”
Bennett said the main focus of what happened to Kirk should be on gun reform and ending gun violence in the U.S. She also said in conversations in relation to Kirk’s death is how others have engaged with this tragedy in comparison to others.
“It’s so interesting to see people who are engaging with this as a tragedy, who have been completely silent on the genocide in Gaza, who have never shared a single thing about children getting shot in schools, but then they’re like, ‘pray for Charlie Kirk and his family.’” Bennett said. “Why? Why is this what compels you to speak? But these other issues aren’t reason enough?”
Another master’s student from New Caledonia said Kirk’s assassination hit really hard for him as someone who considers himself Christian conservative. The student believes in giving more power to the region as well as supporting local businesses and affairs, and more conservative economic policies.
“I feel like what happened to him could happen to me maybe one day for something that I said or something that I will say and that I believe in,” the student said. This particular student has asked to remain anonymous since his political beliefs may cause him to be ostracized in his day to day life.
While he does agree with Kirk on certain issues such as Christian and pro-life values, he disagrees on issues like Kirk’s position on the Israel-Palestine conflict as the student recognizes the human rights abuses being committed. He also disagrees with Kirk’s economic policies.
Although the student is not American, he recognizes the similarities between the American and French conservative values. Abortion and national identity are some of the few pointed out as different, however, the immigration conversation is similar between the two.
The New Caledonian attended a commemoration for Kirk in Paris on Friday, September 19 in the 8th arrondissement, where he saw different formations of French right wing groups come together.
“You can see the French right wing is using Charlie Kirk’s death in order to boost themselves politically speaking,” he said. During the event, he thought it was interesting how different groups were able to come together despite their political disagreements as they related to the American political activist.
In conversations about Kirk’s death, the master’s student said some people on the opposite political aisle don’t understand why he felt so impacted by his death. He’s even heard of completely opposite reactions like celebrating the assassination.
“What’s bothering me is that, in western universities, it’s impossible for people to debate with each other, to understand another person’s position,” he said. “It’s not even about agreeing, it’s about understanding with reason and intelligence. So the fact that we came to this point that we consider the political opponent as an enemy, it really is a problem.”
Academic, former U.S. Ambassador to the Central African Republic and professor at Sciences Po, Jeff Hawkins said he sees Kirk as a “martyr for free speech.”
“It seems clear to me he was killed because of the things he said. That is unacceptable, tragic and profoundly undemocratic,” Hawkins said. “Limiting the way people talk about Kirk and his overtly partisan legacy, though, is also undemocratic.”
Kirk was known for his controversial takes on podcasts, on college campuses and on YouTube videos where he would debate students.
On the subject of race, Kirk made comments such as “Happening all the time in urban America, prowling Blacks go around for fun to target white people, that’s a fact. It’s happening more and more,” said on the Charlie Kirk Show on May 19, 2023.
When asked if he would support his 10-year-old daughter in aborting a pregnancy were she to fall victim of sexual assault on the debate show Surrounded, Kirk said he would advocate for her to have the child.
Regarding gun violence, he said: “I think it’s worth it to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights. That is a prudent deal. It is rational,” – Kirk commented during a TPUSA Faith event, the religious part of his conservative group, Turning Point USA.
“Although many of the things Kirk has said can be considered as hate speech, still, ‘hate speech’ is protected by the First Amendment just like any other public discourse,” Hawkins said.
Kirk’s ideals and political career boosted conservative ideas among young voters in key battleground states across the U.S, with tens of thousands packed an Arizona stadium for Kirk’s memorial and the Republican party has said this will only push more young people to the right.
Vice President JD Vance has promised to “crack down” on the ‘radical left’ on a podcast episode for The Charlie Kirk Show. He is leading a witch hunt against those he accused of promoting political violence in the aftermath of Kirk’s death.
“Given Kirk’s vigorous struggle for the right to express his own, sometimes provocative views, I assume he would be horrified by attempts to suppress the views of others,” said Hawkins.
It is reported that more than 145 people were fired, suspended or pushed to resign for things they said related to Kirk or his assassination in person or on social media. The state department also revoked the visas of six foreigners after social media comments about Kirk’s death. One Argentine national wrote in a post that Kirk was a person who was “spreading racist, xenophobic, misogynistic rhetoric.”
Overall, Americans remain divided between empathy, disdain or apathy on Kirk’s assassination based on their political party or his role as a symbol of freedom of speech, showing just how deeply partisan the country has become.
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