No, Trump didn’t speak truth to posturing when he dismissed France on Palestine

Here’s why Britain may have said it has no immediate plans to follow in France’s wake and recognise Palestine as a state: it’s worried Donald Trump may speak truth to posturing and good-naturedly dismiss such gestures as irrelevant.

After all Britain, like France, is not a superpower like the United States.

Neither Britain nor France can bring Palestine into being by simply recognising its statehood. Accordingly, after France’s President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will recognise Palestine as a state, Mr Trump neither spluttered in anger nor spoke in tones of resignation.

Instead, he insulted France. He made a pleasant but pointed comment on the meaninglessness of France joining 147 others, mostly in the global south, and recognising Palestinian statehood.

Mr Trump said: “Here’s the good news, what he [Macron] says doesn’t matter…He’s a very good guy, I like him, but that statement doesn’t carry any weight.”

Rude though it was, the remark felt honest. What’s the point of recognising Palestinian statehood when nothing can be done to make it a reality?

In fact, at this point of time, doesn’t such a grand gesture become mainly histrionics?

After all, the Palestinian people seem to be in the must painful, debilitating and vulnerable position in their modern history. They’re suffering, starving, subject to collective punishment by a vengeful force. No one knows when the pain will stop. Will it stop?

But here’s the good news. Mr Trump is not accurate in his insulting comment about the irrelevance of France’s decision to recognise Palestinian statehood.

France will be the first member of the G7 industrialised nations to do so. It will join a growing group of western countries to officially recognise Palestine. Last year, Ireland, Norway and Spain made the leap. I specifically mention western countries because the iniquitous international architecture gives them disproportionate influence.

While recognition of Palestinian statehood may make little difference in practical terms, because France and others are not proposing any specific sanctions on Israel nor any other punitive measures for Israel’s actions in Gaza, Israeli diplomats are reportedly worried this may come into being at some point of time. Consider what might happen if Europe cobbles together a reasonably united position on Israel that defies America’s Trump administration.

For Palestinians themselves it is a morale booster. And it could translate into change on the ground if France is able to work with the Saudis towards a reformed Palestinian Authority, the disarming of Hamas and a more long-term plan for the state of Palestine nearly 150 countries recognise.

Tomorrow, I’ll be looking at what’s in prospect when Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s foreign minister, formally presents his country’s intention to recognise a Palestinian state at a French-Saudi conference in New York on July 28.