French President Emmanuel Macron's decision to formally recognise a Palestinian state has drawn the wrath of Franco-Israelis.
"I led Macron's campaign in Israel and today we are truly ashamed and angry," said Nitay Kimron, 40, who moved to Israel 21 years ago.
He said Macron's move at the United Nations General Assembly on Monday would have been welcome at another time and under different circumstances.
He said that Hamas's attack on 7 October, 2023 – which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people and the capture of 250 hostages – had been a turning point.
"After October 2023 and under the current circumstances, to us it seems like a reward for terrorism," he told French news agency AFP.
Since then, Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 65,344 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, figures which the UN considers reliable.
Violence has meanwhile soared in the occupied West Bank, where Israel has expanded settlements which are considered illegal under international law.
Announcing his decision, Macron said France recognised a Palestinian state in the interest of peace.
"The time for peace has come, as we are just moments away from no longer being able to seize it," Macron said in his address to the General Assembly.
"The time has come to free the 48 hostages held by Hamas. The time has come to stop the war, the bombings of Gaza, the massacres and the displacement."
Macron, however, said France would not open an embassy to a Palestinian state until a ceasefire is in place in Gaza and all hostages are released.
The Palestinian Authority hailed France's "historic and courageous" decision and its delegation gave him a standing ovation.
UK, Australia, and Canada recognise Palestinian state, angering Israel
'Domestic considerations'
Speaking ahead of Macron's announcement, Kimron said: "It's not logical and it seems like clientelism."
"Since he has lost all his support in France, he's going to try to win back votes from the left, which is very pro-Palestine. So it's very political and not really smart."
Chaim, who preferred not to use his last name, also said he felt the decision was linked to domestic considerations in France and the United Kingdom, which was among several Western countries to formally recognise a Palestinian state on Sunday.
"I think it's a disaster," said the 61-year-old, who works in the space sector.
"You have people who think in the very, very short term and don't understand the meaning of what they are doing," he added.
Israel has come under international pressure over its war in Gaza, which has sparked a dire humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory.
Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas's 2023 attack, Palestinian militants still hold 47 in Gaza, including 25 the Israeli military says are dead.
Macron warns on Israeli TV that Gaza war is 'destroying Israel’s credibility'
Recognition of Palestine
Isaac, a 32-year-old civil engineer, told AFP that he did not understand the reasoning behind France's move to recognise a Palestinian state.
"It's not going to free any hostages, it's not going to improve the situation, it's not going to stop the war. It just gives a prize for terror," he said ahead of the formal announcement.
"Hamas hails this kind of gesture. So basically, they'll say, 'Oh, that's great, we kill Jews and we get things in return'. So it's just going to encourage even more murder, bloodshed, hatred and that's it," he added.
Recognition of a Palestinian state does not change the current situation, experts say, but it is still a significant decision because it revives the long-dormant push for a two-state solution and could open a pathway for Palestinians to chart a course to statehood.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denounced the push for recognition as "absurd", claiming it would endanger Israel's existence.
He has vowed not to allow a Palestinian state, and far-right members of his cabinet have threatened to annex the West Bank to make statehood impossible.
Israel's UN ambassador Danny Danon said Israel will take action. "They are not promoting peace. They are supporting terrorism," he said of the countries who have formally recognised the state of Palestine.
Of the US stance, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: "President Donald Trump believes [recognising the state of Palestine] is a reward to Hamas."
(with newswires)
