French President Emmanuel Macron has urged US President Donald Trump to leverage Washington’s influence over Israel to help end the war in Gaza, arguing that doing so would validate Trump’s pursuit of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Speaking to France’s BFM TV in New York on Tuesday, Macron said the United States holds unique sway in the conflict because of its role as a major arms supplier. “There is one person who can do something about it, and that is the US president,” he said. “The reason he can do more than us is because we do not supply weapons that allow the war in Gaza to be waged. The United States of America does.”
His remarks came after Trump delivered a combative speech at the United Nations General Assembly, where he dismissed Western-backed efforts to endorse a Palestinian state, calling it a “reward for Hamas militants.” Trump nonetheless called for an immediate ceasefire, declaring: “We have to stop the war in Gaza immediately. We have to immediately negotiate peace.”
Macron, reflecting on the speech, noted Trump’s stated ambitions. “I see an American president who is involved, who reiterated this morning from the podium: ‘I want peace. I have resolved seven conflicts,’ who wants the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Peace Prize is only possible if you stop this conflict,” he said.
Trump has been nominated for the prize by several countries, including Cambodia, Israel, and Pakistan, in recognition of his past peace-brokering efforts. He has repeatedly argued that he deserves the honour, which has been awarded to four former US presidents.
The White House defended Trump’s record, with spokeswoman Anna Kelly saying: “President Trump has done more for peace than everyone present at the United Nations combined. Only this president could have accomplished so much for global stability because he has effectively Made America Strong Again.”
