French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, traveling to Jerusalem on Thursday, November 7, faced an incident characteristic of the complexities of the Franco-Israeli relationship. After meeting with the new Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, who until Tuesday was Minister of Foreign Affairs, and with Ron Dermer, advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Barrot headed to the Mount of Olives to visit one of the four areas that France has custody in Jerusalem: the sanctuary of Eleona, which houses the church of the Pater Noster. There are Carmelites there and you can enjoy a magnificent view of the old town.
But even before Mr. Barrot’s arrival at Eleona’s domain, the situation began to grow tense. Israeli police officers burst into the sanctuary in large numbers, where they confronted two French gendarmes, usually stationed at the French consulate in Jerusalem and who had come to secure the premises for the occasion. Once arriving at the place and after confirming the intrusion of the Israeli police, the head of French diplomacy refused to enter Eleona, remembering that it is a “domain that has belonged to France for more than one hundred and fifty years, and of which France guarantees the security and maintenance with great care.”
Ulcerated, the minister declared: “I am not going to enter the area, because the Israeli security forces entered armed, without first obtaining authorization from France. (…) I will say it very firmly: this situation is unacceptable. This attack on the integrity of an area under French responsibility will likely weaken the ties I have come to cultivate with Israel. »
The situation then degenerated between the excess of Israeli police and the two French gendarmes, who have diplomatic status. After harsh verbal exchanges, the latter were forcibly taken to a police station, from where they were not released until early in the afternoon, after the intervention of the minister, a statement from the Quai d’Orsay states.
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It is difficult to understand this diplomatic incident as the product of a simple misunderstanding. In a video filmed by a Radio France journalist, the police chief, in French, explains to the gendarmes the reasons for his arrest: “Because you prevented the police from doing their job. » He even threatens to appeal “forcibly” if they oppose his arrest. The tone rises. “Do not touch me!” »one of the gendarmes shouts at one of the police officers who grabbed him by the arm and pushed him out of the sanctuary. After being thrown to the ground, the gendarme and one of his companions were loaded into police vehicles.
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