Visa Dispute Sparks Fire

Visa Fury: Macron Attacks U.S. Decision, Israel Warns of ‘Dangerous’ Consequences

French President Macron criticizes US decision to deny Palestinian officials UN visas, sparking diplomatic tensions with Israel over Palestinian statehood recognition plans.

Lara Sukster Mosheyof

SEP 3, 2025 10:05

2 min read

French President Emmanuel Macron has ignited a diplomatic storm after denouncing Washington’s refusal to grant visas to Palestinian officials ahead of the UN General Assembly.

In a post on X/Twitter following a call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Macron branded the American move “unacceptable” and demanded it be reversed.

“Palestinian representation must be ensured in line with the Host Country Agreement,” he wrote, stressing that the international community must rally around a two-state solution.

Macron tied that vision to several conditions: a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages, expanded humanitarian aid to Gaza, and the deployment of an international stabilization mission.

But his comments drew sharp criticism from Jerusalem. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar fired back online, accusing Macron of double standards.

“President Macron loses sleep over visas for Palestinian officials, but not over Palestinian incitement against Jews or the PA’s ‘pay-for-slay’ policy,” Sa’ar wrote. “His one-sided actions undermine regional stability and endanger the international system.”

The controversy comes weeks after Macron announced that France will formally recognize a Palestinian state at the UN assembly this September. That declaration has already emboldened allies, including the UK, Belgium, Canada, and Australia, who signaled plans to follow Paris’s lead.

Israel, meanwhile, sees Macron’s positioning as both reckless and dangerous, framing it as another instance of Europe backing symbolic gestures over hard security realities in the aftermath of Hamas’s October 7 massacre.

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