France is actively considering the opening of an embassy in Palestinian Authority territory in the West Bank, a dramatic diplomatic step that would accompany the launch of a Palestinian embassy in Paris, a senior adviser to President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday.

The revelation, made by Ofer Bronchtein, a longtime confidant of Macron on Israeli-Palestinian affairs, comes as tensions between Paris and Jerusalem continue to escalate. The move would follow France’s stated intention to formally recognize a Palestinian state during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session in September.

According to Bronchtein, the proposed French embassy would likely be established in Ramallah, the administrative hub of the Palestinian Authority. He called the step a “natural continuation” of France’s policy shift and insisted that Palestinian statehood would ultimately serve Israel’s interests.

Bronchtein further argued that the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre would not have occurred if a Palestinian state had existed, contending that the stability such a state might have provided would have prevented the attack.

Israeli leaders, meanwhile, have fiercely rejected international recognition of Palestinian statehood, warning it would amount to granting a “prize for terror.” The government maintains that unilateral recognition undermines Israel’s security and rewards violent actors rather than compelling the Palestinians to negotiate.

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