The Trump administration is urging other governments to boycott an upcoming United Nations conference on the possible creation of a Palestinian state, according to Reuters, which cites a U.S. diplomatic cable.
The document, dated June 10, states that any actions taken against Israel as a result of the conference would be seen as contrary to U.S. foreign policy interests and could trigger diplomatic consequences from Washington.
The Trump administration’s position directly contradicts the initiative of two key U.S. allies—France and Saudi Arabia—who are co-hosting the meeting in New York. The aim of the event is to outline the parameters for a future Palestinian state while ensuring security guarantees for Israel.
"We urge governments not to participate in the conference, as we believe it is counterproductive amid ongoing efforts to end the war in Gaza and secure the release of hostages," the cable reads.
Emmanuel Macron has indicated that France may recognize a Palestinian state on territories occupied by Israel—a statement that, according to French officials, is expected to be made at the upcoming conference. At the same time, Paris is reportedly seeking to avoid a direct clash with the United States, Israel’s main ally.
The U.S. diplomatic cable states: "The United States opposes any steps toward the unilateral recognition of a hypothetical Palestinian state, as this would create serious legal and political obstacles to a final settlement and could exert pressure on Israel during wartime—ultimately playing into the hands of its enemies."
For decades, the United States has supported the two-state concept—Israel and Palestine coexisting side by side, with a future Palestinian state encompassing the West Bank and Gaza. However, during Donald Trump’s first term, his administration took a cautious stance on the issue, departing from what had long been a cornerstone of U.S. Middle East policy. Now, well into his second term, the Republican leader has yet to offer a clear signal on where he stands.
Still, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, known for his staunchly pro-Israel views, stated on Tuesday that the idea of an independent Palestinian state is no longer among the foreign policy goals of the United States. In a diplomatic note sent to other countries, the U.S. warns: "Unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state would, in effect, turn October 7 into Palestine’s Independence Day"—a reference to the 2023 Hamas attack that killed 1 200 Israelis and took around 250 hostages.
Israel’s response to the attack was a large-scale military campaign in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of nearly 55,000 Palestinians, the mass displacement of most of the enclave’s population—over two million people—and the near-total destruction of its infrastructure.
Should Macron go through with recognition, France—a country with the largest Jewish and Muslim communities in Europe—would become the first major Western state to formally recognize a Palestinian state. Such a move could lend momentum to a process that until now has been driven largely by smaller nations traditionally more critical of Israel.