Five days after the violent arrest of two French gendarmes in the French domain of Eléona, on the Mount of Olives, in East Jerusalem, illegally occupied by Israel, the Israeli ambassador to France must be held accountable. Joshua Zarka is summoned this Tuesday, November 12 to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to “provide explanations and discuss possible outcomes”announced the Quai d'Orsay the day before, via a press release.
That day, Thursday, November 7, the head of French diplomacy Jean-Noël Barrot went, for a visit, to the national domain of Eléona, owned by France since the 19th century. Israeli police entered and violently attacked two plainclothes gendarmes who accompanied the minister. During a very tense exchange, Israeli police officers grabbed one of the gendarmes, throwing him to the ground before taking him into a police car. The gendarme, who had identified himself, yelled several times “Don’t touch me!” ». The two officers were later released “after the minister’s intervention” according to the Quai d'Orsay.
“This situation is unacceptable”
“This attack on the integrity of an area placed under the responsibility of France is likely to weaken the links that I had come to cultivate with Israel, at a time when we all need to advance the region on the path of peace »underlined Jean-Noël Barrot to the press on the day of this diplomatic incident. He also refused to enter the field because “ the Israeli security forces entered it in an armed manner, without first obtaining authorization from France and without agreeing to leave “, he explained. “ I want to say it very firmly and very seriously: this situation is unacceptable. » he added.
The Eléona, next to which is a Carmelite convent also under French diplomatic protection, “is a holy place”Father Laurent, rector of the Sainte-Anne basilica, explained to AFP. “Here in Israel, the holy places are particularly protected places. We don't enter with weapons. Moreover, it is a French domain » he added.
Israel claims to have wanted to ensure the “security” of the minister
For its part, Israeli diplomacy assured that security issues had been “clarified” in advance with the French Embassy in Tel Aviv. The presence of Israeli security personnel was intended to “objective of guaranteeing (the) security” of the minister, said the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release. Explanations which did not convince the Quai d'Orsay.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs also reaffirmed its position on Monday, November 11, via a press release: “The presence of armed Israeli security in the Eléona area as well as the arrest of two personnel from the French consulate general in Jerusalem are not acceptable. France condemns them with all the more vigor as they intervene in a context where it is doing everything possible to work to de-escalate violence in the region. »
A source with knowledge of the matter told Agence France Presse that the Israeli authorities should “present explanations, but it’s not clear which ones, and excuses, to begin with”.
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