Israeli police briefly arrest two French officials

8/11/2024 6:16

        France's foreign minister
        refused to enter a holy site under French administration in
        Jerusalem on Thursday due to the presence of Israeli security
        forces, who briefly arrested two French officials in the latest
        rift between the two countries.
        
        The incident, which comes amid strained diplomatic relations
        over Israel's military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, occurred
        when Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot was due to visit the
        compound of The Church of the Pater Noster on the Mount of
        Olives.
        
        "During the visit, an argument arose between the Israeli
        security forces and two French security guards," the Israeli
        foreign ministry said in a statement, adding they were released
        immediately after they identified themselves as diplomats.
        
        The Israeli ministry added that every visiting foreign
        leader is accompanied by its security personnel, a point that
        had been "clarified in advance in the preparatory dialogue with
        the French Embassy in Israel."
        
        The compound, called Eleona in French, also houses a
        monastery and is under French administration.
        
        "This violation of the integrity of a site under French
        responsibility risks undermining the ties I had come to nurture
        with Israel at a time when we all need to move forward the
        region on the path to peace", Barrot said.
        
        The Israeli ambassador to Paris will be summoned in the
        coming days, it said in a statement.
        
        Diplomatic relations between France and Israel have worsened
        since President Emmanuel Macron called for an end to the supply
        of offensive weapons, and urged Israel to cease hostilities and
        focus on diplomacy.
        
        French officials have repeatedly said that Paris is
        committed to Israel's security and that its military helped
        defend Israel amid Iranian missile attacks earlier this year.
        
        It was not the first time that tensions have arisen
        surrounding France's historic holdings in the city.
        
        In 2020, French President Emmanuel Macron lost his temper
        when visiting the Church of St. Anne, another site under French
        administration, demanding Israeli security personnel leave the
        Jerusalem basilica.
        
        A similar incident took place in 1996 involving France's
        then-president Jacques Chirac, who saw his treatment by Israeli
        security as a "provocation".