Why did the French Left Vote to Recognize “Palestine”?

Like the equivalent resolution passed by the British House of Commons, the French National Assembly's recognition of a fictive Palestinian state is a purely symbolic gesture. Although passed by the currently dominant left-wing coalition, the law will no doubt be ignored by the reigning left-wing government, which has shown uncharacteristic sympathy for Israel. Above all, writes Michel Gurfinkiel, the vote is a sign of the French left’s pending electoral collapse: