Meloni warns that recognizing the State of Palestine could be "counterproductive" after Macron's announcement.

Italian Prime MinisterGiorgia Meloni has warned that recognizing the State of Palestine could be "counterproductive" after French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he would join other European countries that have recently taken this step, such as Spain .

"I've said it several times, including in Parliament. I've said it to the Palestinian Authority itself and also to Macron: I think recognizing the State of Palestine without there being a State of Palestine could be counterproductive," he said in an interview with the newspaper Repubblica .

The Italian prime minister argued that the French president's decision was hasty, since "if something is acknowledged on paper that doesn't yet exist," there is a "risk" that the issue may appear to be "resolved" when in reality it isn't.

Meloni's comments, who has said he favors a two-state solution, come after Macron announced on Thursday that he will recognize the State of Palestine, remaining "faithful to his historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East," an announcement that Israel has claimed was made for "publicity" purposes for his personal benefit.

Macron had planned to recognize the State of Palestine during the international summit co-sponsored by Paris and Riyadh, scheduled to be held in mid-June at the United Nations headquarters in New York to promote the two-state solution, although the event had to be suspended for "logistical and security" reasons due to the exchange of attacks between Israel and Iran.

With this decision, the French authorities are following the lead of Spain, Ireland, and Norway , which recognized Palestine on May 28, 2024, in a simultaneous initiative that was criticized by Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government recalled the ambassadors of the three European countries for consultations.