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The city of Jerusalem, already the scene of numerous conflicts and a symbol of religious and political demands, was once again the site of a tense confrontation between the Israeli police and French diplomats. Last Thursday, Israeli police officers entered the grounds of the Pater Noster Church, a French-owned site on the Mount of Olives, provoking outrage from Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, who ultimately canceled his visit. This Friday, France summoned the Israeli ambassador
An incident that disrupts diplomatic relations
This incident comes against a backdrop of already fragile relations between France and Israel, marked by French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent demand for an arms embargo on Israel, a position which has drawn strong criticism from the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Faced with this incident, the Quai d’Orsay announced that it would summon the Israeli ambassador to France to officially express its protest. In a strong statement, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced this intervention by the Israeli police as an attack on the integrity of an area placed under the protection of France. According to this press release, two employees of the French consulate in Jerusalem were briefly arrested despite their diplomatic status, being released only after the direct intervention of Minister Barrot.
Firm reaction from France and response from Israel
Jean-Noël Barrot expressed his deep indignation by declaring that this act “undermines the integrity of an area that France has maintained for more than 150 years with immense care. » The minister stressed that this attack on French properties in Jerusalem risked “weakening the ties that I came here to strengthen, at a time when we must all work to ease tensions in the region. »
Israel, for its part, called the incident a “misunderstanding”, explaining that Israeli security guards, responsible for protecting visiting foreign ministers, had been blocked from entering the grounds by church workers, who refused to reveal their identity. Israeli police said the employees were held for around 20 minutes before being released once their identities were verified.
A symbolic site at the heart of controversy
The grounds of the Pater Noster church, located on the Mount of Olives, is a religious site of great importance for France. It is considered the place where, according to Christian tradition, Jesus taught the Our Father prayer. This site, acquired in the 19th century by Princess Héloïse de la Tour d’Auvergne, was entrusted to the French Carmelite nuns in 1874 and is distinguished by its inscriptions of the Our Father in many languages on the walls of the cloister.
For more than 150 years, France has worked to maintain and preserve this area, which testifies to its historical influence in the Holy Land and its commitment to the protection of religious sites in Jerusalem.
History of similar tensions
This is not the first time that such tensions have arisen between French diplomats and Israeli security forces around sensitive sites in Jerusalem. In 2020, President Macron lost his temper against Israeli agents trying to accompany him inside another French church in Jerusalem, recalling that this property belonged to France. A similar incident had already taken place in 1996, when President Jacques Chirac accused Israeli security of having pushed around his entourage, prompting a young Prime Minister Netanyahu to apologize.
These incidents highlight the diplomatic sensitivity surrounding religious sites in Jerusalem, where every gesture and action takes on a highly symbolic dimension.
Jerusalem: a disputed territory
Israel considers Jerusalem its “unified and eternal” capital since it annexed the eastern part of the city, including the Old City, after the 1967 war. This annexation has never been recognized by the international community, and the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. These rivalries make the city particularly sensitive, especially for international powers like France, protector of many Christian holy places in the region.
France and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Since the October 7 attacks by Hamas against Israel, President Macron has expressed support for Israel’s right to defend itself. However, he also stressed the need for Israel to minimize civilian casualties in its military operations in Gaza and Lebanon. In recent weeks, France has intensified its calls for a ceasefire and a diplomatic solution, with particular attention paid to the situation in Lebanon, a country historically linked to France.
Thursday’s incident adds to a series of diplomatic tensions likely to complicate relations between France and Israel, while Paris for its part calls for measures to reduce the escalation of violence in the region.
Meeting with the Palestinian president
After the incident, Minister Barrot traveled to Ramallah to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank. This meeting aimed to strengthen Franco-Palestinian ties, while reaffirming France’s position in favor of a two-state solution and the recognition of a Palestinian state.
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