This Thursday, November 7, 2024, the official visit of the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, to Jerusalem was marked by a major diplomatic incident. As reported byAFPthe armed Israeli police entered the French national domain of Éléona, without prior authorization, and arrested two French gendarmes.
Israeli army arrests two French soldiers at Éléona national domain
The incident was observed by several witnesses, including journalists from the’AFP. In reaction, Jean-Noël Barrot firmly declared: “ This unacceptable situation ».
Although it is not a French sovereign territory, Éléona remains under the administration of the Consulate General of France, in compliance with the administrative agreements which bind the two countries.
A site entrusted to France since 1868
The intrusion of the Israeli police on the Eleona grounds could aggravate the tensions between Paris and Tel Aviv which have continued since the Euronaval show. Jean-Noël Barrot, by refusing to enter the site as long as the police were present, marked a breaking point in his official visit, thus affirming the importance of French administrative sovereignty over the Éléona domain.
The diplomatic steps taken by France aim to clarify the reasons for Israeli intervention within this French national domain. The domain of Éléona is known to be the place where Christ taught the Our Father to his disciples. Located on the Mount of Olives – Mount of Ascension, it was bought by Héloïse de la Tour d'Auvergne before being entrusted to France in 1868.
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