From the Liveblog of
Thursday, August 28, 2025
France reportedly considering opening embassy in West Bank after recognizing Palestinian state
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleNava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.
France is weighing the opening of an embassy in Palestinian Authority territory in the West Bank, alongside the opening of a Palestinian embassy in France, Ofer Bronchtein, a longtime adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron on Israeli-Palestinian affairs, tells Channel 12.
Bronchtein says the move — under consideration at a time of rising diplomatic tensions between Jerusalem and Paris — would be a natural step following France’s promised recognition of a Palestinian state in September at a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly.
The French embassy would likely be located in Ramallah, he adds, reiterating his view that a Palestinian state is in Israel’s interest. He argues that the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, massacre would not have happened if there had been a Palestinian state, claiming the stability such a state would provide would have prevented the attack.
The French Embassy in Israel did not respond to a request for comment on Bronchtein’s remarks.
The Palestinian Authority governs day-to-day affairs in Palestinian population centers, including Ramallah, where it is based.
The Israeli government opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state and has rejected recognition of one as a “prize for terror.”
The Times of Israel Community.