Eli Kenin
“If France is to live up to its ambition and its history, it must remain sovereign.”[1] With these words, President Emmanuel Macron affirmed his belief in a strong national state. Macron, the youngest French leader since Napoleon, began his first term in 2017 at age 39, with a great deal of ambition. Employing a concept coined in reference to Israel’s tech-driven transformation, he declared shortly after taking office, “I want France to be a startup nation — a nation that thinks and moves like a startup.”[2] The National Interest noted that his ambition to recast France as a “startup power” would demand boldness and agility — qualities Macron seemed to possess.[3]
With less than two years remaining in his second five-year term, and continuing government instability on the horizon, Macron is widely seen as having failed in both domestic and foreign policy. France faces soaring public debt, a struggling healthcare system, deteriorating relations with overseas territories, and waning influence in Africa. His mediation efforts failed to prevent Europe’s largest conflict since World War II. Meanwhile, France—home to the EU’s largest Muslim population—continues to endure more jihadist attacks than any other European country. At the same time, security forces struggle to manage expanding urban zones increasingly disconnected from French culture that have become recurring flashpoints of unrest, most recently during the nationwide riots of June 1st.
Emanuel Macron’s solution to shore up his image at home and abroad is simple: recognize a Palestinian State, a necessity that he presents in almost apocalyptic terms – “What is at stake is clearly the global order.”[4]
The embattled French president, whose approval rating is only 19%,[5] had planned to promote this historic move at a ‘high-level’[6] UN conference on the two-state solution, co-chaired by Paris and Saudi Arabia in June. But with the summit postponed due to the Israel-Iran war, Macron declared that France would recognize a Palestinian State at a more prominent platform in September — the UN General Assembly.[7] Such recognition, however, will not only undermine Macron’s broader goal of preserving France’s now waning status as a leading global power but will also weaken the very state system that underpins the world order his nation was most influential in creating.
France and the modern Westphalian nation-state
More than any other country, France shaped the concept of the modern nation-state. In the 17th century, Cardinal Richelieu, chief minister to the king, “invented the idea that the state was an abstract and permanent entity existing in its own right,” writes Henry Kissinger (World Order, 2014).[8] The Thirty Years’ War and the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia created a balance of power in Europe, ending dynastic and religious rule in favor of centralized authority and national interest. The French Revolution anchored sovereignty in the will of the people and, with its universal principles — Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité — helped lay the ideological foundations of the modern international system.
Today, the Westphalian state has become the fundamental unit of international relations. It provides the framework needed to build political institutions, preserve culture and language, practice religious liberty, and ensure the protection of individual rights within a sovereign territory.
Israel: an ancient monarchy reborn as a Westphalian state
Among the nations established in the post-war, post-colonial era, Israel stands as the most successful and resilient example of the Westphalian system’s validity. While nations like Singapore have achieved greater economic prosperity, no other state has accomplished what Israel has: resurrecting an ancient language, creating robust democratic institutions, and enabling its persecuted religion to flourish anew—all while protecting freedom of worship for its many minorities. It is hard to imagine that an ancient monarchy that was destroyed over 1,800 years ago and whose people were scattered to the four corners of the earth could be resurrected in any other form than as a modern nation-state.
The State of Israel’s achievements are particularly remarkable given the constant security challenges from its neighbors who reject democratic governance and religious freedom. Their approach to international relations remains pre-Westphalian, shaped less by state institutions than by a religiously infused conception of world order.”[9]
Only Israel’s unwavering belief in its rebirth and its technological ingenuity, born of necessity, have enabled its survival. Yet its innovations have transcended self-defense, contributing to remarkable advances in science, medicine, and technology that benefit all humanity.
World order and the attack on the Westphalian system
Today, the nation-state system faces mounting challenges from non-state actors, as Kissinger argued in World Order.[10] It is under top-down pressure from economic globalization and international organizations, and bottom-up threats from terrorism, transnational crime, and the collapse of government authority in certain regions, leading to failed states. Instant global communications networks accelerate uncertainty from both directions.
Kissinger surveyed competing visions of global governance and concluded that the Middle East poses the most complex challenge to international peace and stability.[11] Central to that challenge is Islam’s ambition to establish a universal religious order—along with its strategy for achieving this: jihad—“an obligation binding on believers to expand their faith through struggle ‘by his heart; his tongue; his hands; or by the sword.’”[12]
Emmanuel Macron echoed these concerns in a February 2020 speech at France’s École de Guerre, stressing the interdependence of national security and the international rules-based system:[13]
We are witnessing an accelerated disintegration of our international legal order and of the institutions that structure peaceful relations between states. These phenomena undermine the broader security framework and directly or indirectly affect our defense strategy.
The President highlighted the persistent threat of jihadi terrorism, pointing to extremist networks that thrive in failed states and continue to exploit weaknesses in Western societies. He reaffirmed his commitment: “Right after I was elected, I made fighting terrorism my top priority. It will remain so.”
Islamization: From the French Riviera to the English Channel
In May, Emmanuel Macron participated in a three-hour, nationally televised interview to defend his record amid widespread security concerns. While there have been no mass-casualty events on the scale of the 2016 Nice attack that killed 86, jihadist violence persists—including a knife attack in a church that killed three, an assault on tourists near the Eiffel Tower, and a teacher’s beheading.
Beyond jihadist threats, unrest from heavily immigrant neighborhoods remains a chronic challenge. On June 1st, rioting erupted across multiple cities following a football title win, reaching central Paris in a destructive rampage that left two dead and hundreds injured.[14] One French commentator cited a mayor who observed that Palestinian flags were “brandished everywhere there were riots,” calling it “the banner of revolt” and adding: “It is not Palestine being defended—it is France being targeted.”[15] Despite these events, both legal and illegal immigration of Muslims to France continues, due, primarily, to the country’s generous social welfare system and family reunification.
On May 21, a government report was presented to the president detailing the widespread activities of the Muslim Brotherhood—operating under the umbrella organization Muslims of France—in schools, cultural institutions, and municipalities.[16] The report warned that such activities “pose a risk of damaging the fabric of society, republican institutions, and national cohesion.”[17] Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau echoed the concern, stating that the Brotherhood’s ultimate goal is “to convert French society to Sharia law.”[18]
Le Journal du Dimanche published an updated map of “France’s radicalization,” in June 2023, noting that no part of the country is “spared by the phenomenon.”[19]
Hamas is the Muslim Brotherhood in its extreme form, an offshoot of the global jihadist movement whose actions span from societal infiltration to brutal terror. Emmanuel Macron understands Israel’s fight for survival is against the same terrorist organization that ultimately wants to destroy France’s democratic society and the values it shares with the Jewish State. In fact, following the October 7th, 2023, massacre he called for an international coalition to fight Hamas.[20]
From statesman to globe-trotting messianic populist
Until now, France—though a supporter of a two-state solution—has held back from granting formal statehood to Palestine, believing that doing so without genuine negotiations would achieve little. In May 2024, when Ireland, Spain, and Norway extended recognition in the name of “peace, justice and consistency and keeping hope alive,”[21] France adopted a more measured stance, reflecting its greater diplomatic weight as the EU’s only permanent UN Security Council member and nuclear power. France’s then foreign minister, Stephane Séjourné, explained:[22]
Emmanuel Macron, having lost parliamentary control and unable to address France’s domestic problems, is attempting to salvage his legacy through foreign policy. His diplomatic approach has shifted from mature statecraft, suited to the EU’s most prominent Westphalian state, to dangerous populist expediency. His adviser on Israeli-Palestinian relations, Israeli-born peace activist Ofer Bronchtein,[23] told France 24: “The solution will come from outside. They must be told: Enough. Here’s what will happen — the two-state solution. Then we’ll deal with the other technical issues.”[24]
Having sought to emulate Israel’s dynamism at the start of his first term, the French President is now ready to sacrifice the world’s only Jewish state on the altar of political opportunism, ingratiating himself with the larger Muslim world that includes France’s large immigrant population. A veteran French diplomat praised Emmanuel Macron for his initiative, saying that it will improve “France’s long-term image with 2/3 of the world”[25] — countries that align with Arab positions at the UN.
Over the past months, Macron has been traveling the world, preaching the benefits of recognizing a Palestinian state and successfully encouraging other Western countries to do so. At a defense summit in Singapore, he warned that “if we abandon Gaza” and give Israel a free pass, even while condemning the October 7 attacks, “we kill our credibility to protect the global order.”[26]
According to Kissinger, two concepts of world order are “embedded in the Israeli Palestinian issue”: Israel is a Westphalian state, while core Middle Eastern countries and factions view international order through what he terms an “Islamic consciousness.”[27]
European leaders, like Emmanuel Macron, who convince themselves there is a fundamental difference between Hamas and the PA ignore the openly stated truth: West Bank residents overwhelmingly supported the October 7th, 2023, jihadist massacre of Israelis, which made them “feel prouder to be Palestinian.”[28] This support, combined with Palestinian leadership’s decades-long rejection of proposals for statehood, indicates that the real goal is not an independent state. Rather, Palestine will serve as a weapon for the Arab/Islamic world to destroy Israel—a first step toward their dream of a universal Islamic world order.
Macron’s Reckless Legacy for France and World Order
Rewarding Hamas for its barbaric massacre of October 7th with a Palestinian State will only encourage the Muslim Brotherhood and other groups in France, Europe, and around the world to increase their struggle by “heart; tongue; hands; and by the sword.” Jihad is both global and cumulative.
France’s greatest contribution to humanity and world order remains the concept of the modern state along with its universal principles: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity. Yet by recognizing Palestine as a state—a jihadist entity that negates these very republican principles and openly calls for the destruction of Israel, the Mideast’s only Westphalian democracy—Emmanuel Macron’s legacy will be the increasing Islamization of France and the destruction of the rules-based international system that his country helped create.
The author is an independent writer, researcher and translator living in Jerusalem
[1] Emmanuel Macron, Speech of the President of the Republic on the Defense and Deterrence Strategy, 7 February 2020, https://www.elysee.fr/en/emmanuel-macron/2020/02/07/speech-of-the-president-of-the-republic-on-the-defense-and-deterrence-strategy.
[2] Macron Says He Wants France to Be a ‘Startup Nation’, June 15th, 2017, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2017-06-15/macron-wants-france-to-be-a-startup-nation-video.
[3] The ‘Macron Miracle’ Could Transform France Into a Global Powerhouse, The National Interest, April 19, 2018, https://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/the-macron-miracle-could-transform-france-global-powerhouse-25451.
[4] French President Macron: Global order is at risk | Shangri-La Dialogue 2025, May 30, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmANr8qdJtQ.
[5] La popularité d’Emmanuel Macron et François Bayrou au plus bas, July 20, 2025, https://www.bfmtv.com/politique/la-popularite-d-emmanuel-macron-et-francois-bayrou-au-plus-bas_AD-202507200296.html.
[6] ‘Take Irreversible Action towards Implementing Two-State Solution’, Secretary-General Tells Member States at Security Council Debate, April 29, 2025, https://press.un.org/en/2025/sgsm22631.doc.htm.
[7] French plan to recognise Palestinian state draws fire from Israel, US, July 25,2025 https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/french-plan-recognise-palestinian-state-draws-fire-israel-us-2025-07-25/
[8] Henry Kissinger, World Order, Penguin Books, 2014, p. 22.
[9] Ibid. p. 133.
[10] Ibid. pp. 365-370.
[12] Ibid. p. 102
[13] Speech of the President of the Republic on the Defense and Deterrence Strategy, February 7, 2020, https://www.elysee.fr/en/emmanuel-macron/2020/02/07/speech-of-the-president-of-the-republic-on-the-defense-and-deterrence-strategy.
[14] Two people die and hundreds arrested in France after PSG Champions League victory, June 1, 2025, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/01/deaths-and-arrests-in-france-after-psg-champions-league-victory
[15] Drapeau palestinien:«l’étendard de la révolte», June 6, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw_eOMJVBv4
[16] Publication du rapport “Frères musulmans et islamisme politique en France”, May 21, 2025,https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/actualites/dossiers-de-presse/publication-du-rapport-freres-musulmans-et-islamisme-politique-en-france.
[17] Government-commissioned report says Muslim Brotherhood posing threat to French unity, https://www.reuters.com/world/government-commissioned-report-says-muslim-brotherhood-posing-threat-french-2025-05-21/.
[18] Rapport sur les Frères musulmans : Bruno Retailleau pointe « un islamisme à bas bruit qui se répand» May 20, 2025, https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/rapport-sur-les-freres-musulmans-bruno-retailleau-pointe-un-islamisme-a-bas-bruit-qui-se-repand-20-05-2025-3IZ5MTLY2ZFK5LLVWSR2T2EMXA.php
[19] La carte de France de la radicalisation islamique,09/10/2016 à 11:30, Mis à jour le 06/01/2023, https://www.lejdd.fr/Societe/La-carte-de-France-de-la-radicalisation-815899
[20] France’s Macron wants international coalition against Hamas, October 24, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/world/frances-macron-says-he-stands-solidarity-with-israels-fight-against-terrorism-2023-10-24/.
[21] Ireland, Spain and Norway to recognise Palestinian state, The Guardian, May 22, 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/22/palestinian-state-recognition-ireland-spain-recognise-palestine; Ireland officially recognises Palestinian state, Reuters, May 28, 2024, https://www.reuters.com/world/ireland-officially-recognises-palestinian-state-2024-05-28/.
[22] France stands by decision not to recognize Palestinian state, May 22, 2024, https://www.politico.eu/article/france-decision-palestine-state-foreign-minister-stephane-sejourne-israel-process-diplomacy/; France says conditions not right to recognise Palestinian state, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/france-says-conditions-recognising-palestine-state-not-met-yet-foreign-mister-2024-05-22/.
[23] Macron’s Israeli adviser leading drive for Palestinian state, May 20, 2025, https://www.jns.org/macrons-israeli-adviser-leading-drive-for-palestinian-state/.
[24] Offensive à Gaza: Israël sous pression de ses alliés? 22 pays évoquent de possibles sanctions, May 20, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDAntzuaglA&list=PLCnUnV3yCIYsorEFTMQUynEFEJFyZBtTv&index=6&t=1974s
[25] “Macron is right to want to recognize the Palestinian State” Hubert Védrine, Apr 17, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7F4PUkScexs.
[26] 22nd Asia security summit – the Shangri-La dialogue-keynote address, May 30, 2025, 22nd Asia security summit – the Shangri-La dialogue-keynote address, May 30, 2025, https://www.iiss.org/globalassets/media-library—content–migration/files/shangri-la-dialogue/2025/transcripts-final/keynote/n/keynote-address_president-macron_as-delivered.pdf
[27] Kissinger, pp. 132-133
[28] Survey finds majority in the West Bank support the Oct 7 massacre, November 16, 2023, https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/middle-east/palestinian-territories/1700158968-survey-finds-majority-in-the-west-bank-justify-the-oct-7-massacre.
