At a joint press conference, Trump condemned international recognition of a Palestinian state as rewarding Hamas’ October 7th massacre, while Macron insisted it was necessary for a political “day after.”
A tense split emerged at a joint press conference between U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, as the two leaders clashed over the wave of international recognitions of a Palestinian state.
When asked whether such recognition amounted to a “gift to Hamas,” Trump didn’t hesitate:
“Well, I think it honors Hamas and you can’t do that because of October 7th. You just can’t do that. But we want our hostages back and we don’t want them back in ones and twos… You always have to remember, people forget October 7th was one of the most savage days in the history of the world. Babies being sliced in half, young children having their heads chopped off. You can’t forget that.”
Trump emphasized that granting legitimacy to a Palestinian state after Hamas’ atrocities would be “honoring” terrorism and undermining efforts to secure the release of hostages. He closed his remarks by affirming his lifelong stance:
“I’m on the side of Israel. I’ve been on the side of Israel really my whole life. And we are going to get a solution. And it’s going to be a solution hopefully that’s good for everybody. But it’s time to stop.”
Macron acknowledged the horror of October 7, recalling his own visit to Israel and meetings with victims’ families, but defended recognition of Palestine as part of a broader strategy:
“Yesterday, 11 countries did recognize Palestine. It was not a decision taken like that… After almost two years of war, what is the result? Once again they killed the top leaders of Hamas — a great achievement — but you still have as many Hamas fighters as you had the first day. So it doesn’t work to dismantle Hamas.”
The French president argued that recognition was about building a political horizon: ceasefire, humanitarian aid, stabilization of Gaza, and eventually a Palestinian state.
The contrast could not have been sharper. Trump framed recognition as a dangerous reward for mass murderers, while Macron portrayed it as a path to diplomacy after military deadlock.
For Israel, the message is clear: some in Europe are pressing to hand Hamas a political victory, while Washington — at least under Trump — is still committed to calling October 7th by its name: the most savage day in modern Jewish history, never to be legitimized with statehood.
