France cools expectations of swift Palestinian state recognition

France is due later this month to co-host with Saudi Arabia a UN conference in New York on a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. There had been expectations that France could recognise a Palestinian state during that conference, with President Emmanuel Macron also growing increasingly frustrated with Israel's blocking of aid to the Palestinians in the war-torn Gaza Strip. "France could have taken a symbolic decision. But this is not the choice we made because...