French President Emmanuel Macron had to wait in New York as police cleared the streets for US President Donald Trump’s motorcade on Monday. This happened shortly after Macron gave a speech at the 80th United Nations General Assembly.
During his speech, Macron formally announced France’s recognition of the State of Palestine. A video shared online shows him talking with a police officer. The officer said, “I’m sorry, Mr President… there is a motorcade coming.” Then, Macron joked while calling Trump, “Guess what, I’m waiting in the street because everything is frozen for you.”
After the motorcade passed, Macron continued on foot to the French Embassy. His walk lasted about half an hour. Along the way, several people stopped to greet him or take photos.
At the UN summit, co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, leaders from Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, and Monaco also recognized Palestine. Meanwhile, Israel and the United States boycotted the event. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized it as a “gift to Hamas.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized that Palestinian statehood is a right, not a reward. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, speaking remotely, called for an end to violence and proposed governance and social reforms.
