The visit of the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, was disrupted on Thursday November 7 when Israeli police entered Éléona, a religious site belonging to France.
“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”denounced the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the press.
The incident continued with the arrest, filmed and broadcast on social networks, of French gendarmes inside the site. These images are reminiscent of other episodes of friction between security services, during visits by French officials to Jerusalem.
► Emmanuel Macron in 2020
In January 2020, a visit by Emmanuel Macron was marred by tensions. As the President of the Republic approached Sainte-Anne Church, after a stroll through the old city of Jerusalem, tense exchanges broke out between French and Israeli security forces at the entrance to the church.
« I don’t like what you did in front of me “, the president then loses his temper in front of an Israeli police officer. The French president refuses to allow the Israeli security service to take care of his security inside the place of worship.
“Please come out, no one has to provoke anyone, understand?” (…) Please respect the rules that have been established for centuries, they will not change with me, I can tell you that. It’s France here, and everyone knows the rules”he continued.
Like Éléona, Sainte-Anne is part of several French possessions in Jerusalem, which are grouped within the French national domain in the Holy Land. This is managed and administered by the French Consulate General in Jerusalem.
Emmanuel Macron subsequently minimized the incident: “ There is our French history which is a bit particular and upon arriving in Sainte-Anne, which is on the French domain, there was a game which was quite classic, there was a moment of irritation between the teams of security and it was up to me to put it in good order ».
► Hubert Védrine in 2001
In 2001, Hubert Védrine, then Minister of Foreign Affairs, also had a lively exchange with members of Israeli security in East Jerusalem.
As the minister prepares to meet Palestinian figures in a hotel, the security service accompanying him tries to enter the building.
“The Israelis tried to force their way into the meeting area », then tells a member of the French delegation to New Obs. « French security agents blocked their way, there was a stampede and the Israelis confiscated the diplomatic identity card of one of the French agents “, he continues. “This is a totally unnecessary incident that I have already completely forgotten» Hubert Védrine subsequently declared during a press conference.
► Jacques Chirac in 1996
The sequence had gone around the world: Jacques Chirac losing his temper in front of Israeli soldiers in 1996. While the French president is in Via Dolorosa, the path that Christ would have taken with his Cross, the security service mobilized for the The opportunity prevents him from coming into contact with the Palestinian population of the old city.
Jacques Chirac then loses his temper: “What’s the matter again?” I’m starting to get tired of it! “. The French president then utters, in English, a now famous sentence: ” What do you want ? That I return to my plane and return to France? Is this what you want? Let them go, let them be. It is not a method. It’s a provocation. This is a provocation. Stop now please”
Jacques Chirac continues his stroll and heads towards the Sainte-Anne church. But here again, a new incident broke out: armed Israeli soldiers were in the religious compound.
The president loses his temper again and refuses to visit the place as long as the soldiers are present there. “I don’t want armed people on French territory. I will wait”, he says. The Israeli soldiers finally leave the church. Benyamin Netanyahu, already prime minister, was forced to apologize in the face of the anger of the French delegation.
