The leader of France's left-wing New People's Front bloc pledged to recognize Palestinian statehood as soon as possible, while a former minister called on French Jews to leave the country for Israel.
Jean-Luc Melenchon made the statement following his coalition's victory in the recent French general election.
The early election, prompted by President Emmanuel Macron, concluded with the New Popular's Front securing the most seats in parliament.
In the second round of voting, the New Popular Front, an alliance comprising four left-wing parties, emerged as the leading force with 178 deputies.
The largest party within the alliance, France Unbowed, is headed by Melenchon.
Celebrating the election victory, Melenchon indicated their readiness to form a government, asserting: "We will have a prime minister from the New Popular Front."
Melenchon highlighted the potential for significant decisions to be made "by decree" on both national and international fronts, emphasizing that recognizing the State of Palestine would be one of their first actions "as quickly as possible."
In the closely contested second round, the leftists and Macron's supporters tacitly cooperated against the far-right.
Despite this, no alliance achieved the absolute majority required to form a government independently.
Macron's Together for the Republic alliance secured 150 seats, while the far-right National Rally alliance garnered 125 seats.
The absence of an absolute majority, defined as 289 deputies in the parliament, necessitates collaboration among various political parties and alliances to establish a new government.
The formation of this government will depend on the New Popular Front's ability to forge a coalition with centrist parties without internal division.
Recognizing the State of Palestine was a central promise of the New Popular Front during their campaign, reflecting their stance on international issues and commitment to change in French foreign policy.
The election results mark a significant shift in the French political landscape, with the left-wing alliance poised to influence the future direction of the country.
Former Israeli minister Avigdor Lieberman called Monday on French Jews to flee to Israel after the left-wing won the most seats in parliament.
Lieberman, the head of the opposition Yisrael Beytenu Party, called the French leftist parties alliance "radical left."
"I call on the French Jews to leave France and immigrate to the State of Israel. No time," Lieberman, a former defense minister, said on X.
He said Melenchon "became famous with quite a few statements against Jews and the State of Israel."
There was no comment from the Israeli government on the French election results.
According to Israeli figures, there are around 440,000 Jews living in France.
In the second round of voting, the New Popular Front, an alliance comprising four left-wing parties, emerged as the leading force with 178 deputies.
The largest party within the alliance, France Unbowed, is headed by Melenchon.
