This is a new diplomatic incident between France and Israel. While visiting Jerusalem, the Minister of Foreign Affairs refused to enter a French religious site because of the presence of armed Israeli police inside. These police forces present “without authorization” and “refusing to leave” then briefly arrested two French gendarmes.
Israeli agents would have entered to “support the security of the delegation”, explains the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Jewish state. The grounds of the Eléona national domain are, however, already protected by French diplomacy. This place, purchased by the Princess de la Tour d’Auvergne at the end of the 19th century before she donated it to France, is built on the cave where Christ is said to have taught the Pater Noster to his disciples. It is located on the Mount of Olives, in East Jerusalem, the Palestinian part occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War of 1967.
“An attack on the integrity of an area placed under the responsibility of France”
The French minister ultimately did not enter the pilgrimage site. In front of the press, he denounced an “attack on the integrity of an area placed under the responsibility of France” and blamed an event “likely to weaken the links that I had nevertheless come to cultivate with Israel, in a time when we all need to move the region forward on the path to peace.”
Another incident occurred a few minutes later. “After the departure of the delegation, two staff from the French consulate general in Jerusalem were arrested by Israeli security even though they are agents with diplomatic status,” indicates the press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During this event, Israeli police officers grabbed one of the two French gendarmes and threw him to the ground. The latter yelled “don’t touch me” several times, reports AFP. The two French law enforcement officers were then taken away in a car.
“This incident will not stop there”
After being released, a police official explained to them that they were not in uniform and had not shown their professional cards. “They know that we work at the French consulate general,” one of the two agents replied, pointing to the police officers who had arrested him. For its part, the Israeli police stated in a press release that “two individuals, initially unidentified” had “refused entry to the site to Israeli agents responsible for the minister’s security”.
French diplomatic sources indicated that “this incident will not stop there, especially since it is aggravated by false allegations disseminated by the Israeli authorities”. Jean-Noël Barrot announced that the Israeli ambassador in Paris will be summoned “in the coming days”.
“This event is very sad”
“I find it intolerable, unacceptable and scandalous,” complains Cédric Perrin. “We are witnessing the victory of violence over the law. If even democratic states disregard the law, the example to be given is really not a good one,” continues the chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee at the Palais du Luxembourg. “We are in a period where we must seek tolerance and appeasement. The Israelis must also take their part,” adds senator Les Républicains. For him, Jean-Noël Barrot should still have entered the Church to “show that the site belongs to France”.
Cédric Perrin had already planned to meet Joshua Zarka, the Israeli ambassador to France, this Tuesday, November 12. “This will be an opportunity to ask him for explanations,” warns the elected official from the Territoire de Belfort. If the senator admits that this diplomatic trip was “failed”, he adds that “similar incidents had broken out with Emmanuel Macron or Jacques Chirac”. In 2022, the President of the Republic was marked by a stampede in front of the Sainte-Anne basilica. In 1996, Jacques Chirac lost his temper against Israeli soldiers who surrounded him too closely, saying: “Do you want me to go back to my plane? » (Would you like me to get back on board my plane) before demanding that the soldiers leave the Sainte-Anne area. “We probably do not have the same security approach as the Israelis,” analyzes Cédric Perrin. And to conclude: “But hey, this event of Thursday is very sad”.
