Croatian president says recognising Palestine is a right, not a reward, calls Israel 'deadly regime'

Croatian president says recognising Palestine is a right, not a reward, calls Israel 'deadly regime'

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic said recognising the state of Palestine is a right of the Palestinian people, not a reward, and stressed that Croatia should follow suit.

"This is not a reward; it is their right. Croatia should do the same. The timing depends on when the government forwards the proposal to parliament, but I will support it," Milanovic told reporters in the US, where he is attending the UN General Assembly.

According to the public broadcaster Voice of Croatia, Milanovic underlined that recognition of Palestine stems from UN resolutions.

"Palestine must be recognised; this is their right. Israel will continue killing; this is a deadly regime, because they have decided they can do so as long as they have a protector," he said.

Meanwhile, French opposition parties have called on President Emmanuel Macron’s government to take immediate steps to stop the Israeli genocide in Gaza, following France’s recognition of the state of Palestine.

Mathilde Panot, deputy chair of the France Unbowed (LFI) party, wrote on US social media company X: “Recognising the State of Palestine is good, stopping genocide and colonialism is better.”

She urged Paris to impose an immediate arms embargo on Israel, adopt diplomatic, economic and cultural sanctions, and suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement.