The initiative by French President Emmanuel Macron to recognize the State of Palestine has been met with strong criticism from within Germany’s largest opposition bloc, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Jürgen Hardt, spokesperson for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group on foreign policy, cautioned that recognizing Palestine as an independent state should be reserved for the conclusion of the peace process in the Middle East, encompassing the resolution of Jerusalem’s legal status and constitutional questions.
Hardt argued that premature recognition would not advance the goal of two democratic states – a Jewish state of Israel and a Palestinian state – existing in mutual respect and would instead be perceived as a symbolic gesture and an offense to Israel. He further noted that Germany already maintains strong collaboration with the Palestinian Authority (PA) through substantial financial support, independent of any formal recognition.
The timing of Macron’s announcement, which intends to formally recognize Palestine during the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York in September, follows a similar move by approximately 150 other nations. Macron plans to consult with the leaders of Germany and the United Kingdom, Friedrich Merz and Keir Starmer respectively, regarding the ongoing situation in Gaza this Friday. The planned recognition has already drawn rebukes from both Israel and the United States.
Conversely, Sahra Wagenknecht, leader of the left-wing “Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht” (BSW) party, lauded Macron’s decision as “a remarkable decision” and urged Germany to follow suit. She stated that Germany’s current policies concerning Israel are leading to increasing isolation.
Wagenknecht leveled a particularly sharp criticism of the German government, alleging that it bears “co-responsibility for war crimes and deaths from hunger in Gaza” due to continued arms supplies to Israel. She implored the Social Democratic Party (SPD) to either instigate a shift in German Middle East policy or consider withdrawing from the government coalition. Finally, Wagenknecht issued a stark warning regarding the situation in Gaza, stating that “a genocide is looming”.
