To a student of history growing up in Pakistan, France's outsized role on the world stage often felt like a historical enigma. Its permanent seat on the UN Security Council seemed a relic of post-war politics, not modern reality. The Statue of Liberty raised another paradox: how could America's most potent symbol of identity be a foreign gift? With time, I learnt that the answer to both questions is the same.

France's enduring power is not just political; it is philosophical. Its authority comes not from the size of its empire or economy, but from its role as the crucible of modern republicanism and universal human rights. Thinkers like Montesquieu and Rousseau did not just write for France; they wrote for the world. The Statue of Liberty is not merely a gift; it is America's acknowledgement of this intellectual debt. It is this legacy of moral and philosophical leadership that gives France the unique standing to act, as it recently has in championing a renewed path for Palestinian statehood.

In a world increasingly defined by attempts to ignite a new cold war and diplomatic paralysis, France's recent leadership on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was a welcome echo of its historic role. The resolution to admit the State of Palestine as a full UN member was not just drafted but decisively brought to the Security Council floor. When the votes were cast, the outcome was as telling as it was predictable: an overwhelming majority of nations voted in favour, only to be thwarted by a single veto from the United States. In that moment, France's "yes" was not just a diplomatic formality; it was an act of political courage. It chose to stand with the global consensus and international law, even when it meant publicly breaking with its........

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