Israeli Detention of French Diplomats in Jerusalem Draws Diplomatic Rebuke
France accused Israel on Thursday of jeopardizing diplomatic relations after Israeli security forces entered a Jerusalem holy site under French jurisdiction, briefly detaining two French officials with diplomatic immunity.
The incident occurred just before French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot was set to visit the Church of the Pater Noster on the Mount of Olives, a French-administered site.
French sources say Israeli security detained two French officials from the consulate, despite being aware of their diplomatic status, and told them not to enter.
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Israel’s foreign ministry later stated that the officials were released promptly after identifying themselves, calling the incident a “misunderstanding.”
The diplomatic row adds further tension to strained relations, worsened by France’s recent calls for halting arms sales to Israel amid ongoing military operations in Gaza and Lebanon. “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 told reporters.
France’s foreign ministry announced it would summon Israel’s ambassador in response.
Also on Thursday, Barrot publicly addressed the possibility of new sanctions against Israeli settlers committing violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
“France has been a driving force to establish the first sanction regime at the European level targeting individuals or entities, either actors or accomplices of settlement activities,” Barrot said after talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Ramallah.
