President Donald Trump brushed aside French President Emmanuel Macron saying he would recognize a Palestinian state.
"Here's the good news: what he says doesn't matter. It's not going to change anything," Trump said while speaking to reporters on the White House lawn. "He's a very good guy. I like him, but that statement doesn't carry any weight."
Trump said Macron was a "different kind of a guy" but a "team player."
Macron plans to formalize his declaration at the United Nations General Assembly in September. Germany said it has no immediate plans to follow France's step.
Britain has not followed suit either, though Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday came closer than ever before, saying "statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people."
Starmer said he, Macron and Chancellor Friedrich Merz will speak Friday about "what we can do urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need while pulling together all the steps necessary to build a lasting peace."
France is the first Group of Seven country and largest European nation to recognize a Palestinian state. Israel denounced the decision.
"A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel – not to live in peace beside it," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. "Let's be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel.
More than 140 countries recognize a Palestinian state, including a dozen in Europe.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.