It’s Time To Show France and Britain Who Holds the Keys to Jerusalem
Maariv, Israel, September 24
Britain and France’s recognition this week of a Palestinian state—in blatant defiance of agreements to which both countries, as members of the UN Security Council and, in Britain’s case, a former member of the European Union—marks an audacious and unprecedented act against a sovereign state they still claim to call a “friend,” an “ally,” and a fellow member of the democratic club.
Yet this outrageous step did not materialize in a vacuum; it is the culmination of years of calculated provocation, particularly by France, that has steadily eroded Israel’s standing as an independent state and, most critically, its sovereignty over Jerusalem. Israel has repeatedly turned a blind eye—if not the other cheek—to the diplomatic slaps delivered by these two governments, either in the hope that such gestures would prove meaningless or out of fear of sparking open confrontation.
In practical terms, the recognition of a Palestinian state by France and Britain carries no immediate consequence on the ground; nothing will change in the short term. But it represents another calculated move that will make it increasingly difficult for Israel to act independently when necessity demands—a lesson history teaches will inevitably arise. More importantly, neither Britain nor France still commands the global stature that once required deference.
Give the gift of hope
We practice what we preach:
accurate, fearless journalism. But we can't do it alone.
- On the ground in Gaza, Syria, Israel, Egypt, Pakistan, and more
- Our program trained more than 100 journalists
- Calling out fake news and reporting real facts
- On the ground in Gaza, Syria, Israel, Egypt, Pakistan, and more
- Our program trained more than 100 journalists
- Calling out fake news and reporting real facts
Join us.
Support The Media Line. Save democracy.
As the late satirist Ephraim Kishon quipped after Charles de Gaulle betrayed Israel during the Six-Day War, there are no longer four great powers, only two, and France and Britain long ago ceased to be nations whose opinions warrant special consideration. Nevertheless, Israel has inexplicably allowed these two countries to operate de facto embassies to the Palestinian Authority in its own capital for decades. The British and French consulates-general in Jerusalem function in practice—and to a significant extent even officially—as their nations’ embassies to Ramallah. Their personnel are trained by the Palestinian Authority, work exclusively with its officials, and enjoy every privilege and convenience Israel provides, 100%.
The situation is akin to Israel opening a consulate-general in London and declaring it the Israeli embassy to Gibraltar, a territory under Spanish claim, or establishing a consulate in Paris and unilaterally recognizing the independence of French overseas colonies. This long-standing Israeli leniency toward British and especially French provocations has not brought the hoped-for calm; rather, it has emboldened both governments to escalate their actions, culminating in this latest affront. The path to this point has been marked by warning signs, especially from the French consulate, whose activities have included support for institutions promoting terrorism, boycotts, or incitement in Jerusalem.
Britain and France also back illegal Palestinian construction in Area C, in direct violation of signed agreements, particularly around Jerusalem, in a calculated attempt to undermine the growth of Israel’s capital in favor of a future Palestinian “capital.” All of this has unfolded under the cover of Israeli complacency and silence. Yet this need not continue. Israel holds significant political leverage over these two countries, whose own histories are stained by centuries of conquest, enslavement, plunder, and bloodshed.
The first and most natural step is to curtail the operations of their consulates in Jerusalem—a move entirely within Israel’s sovereign rights and easily implemented with nothing more than formal letters and emails—to signal that reckless diplomacy carries a steep price. The measures are straightforward: deny work visas to any diplomat not formally accredited by Israel, forcing them to reside solely in Palestinian Authority territories and revoking their right of free passage; revoke consular license plates for vehicles not operated by diplomats approved by Israel; cancel VAT exemptions for both consulates and their employees, requiring them to pay taxes like any nondiplomatic entity; eliminate reserved parking privileges; launch a comprehensive review of the legality of their buildings through municipal inspection; scrutinize the activities of affiliated institutions such as the Institut Français; revoke weapons permits for security personnel, unless they are employees of the official French Embassy in Tel Aviv; and reassess the status of the four French compounds in and around Jerusalem, stripping them of any special privileges.
Furthermore, any diplomatic or consular immunity must be denied to individuals not accredited to Israel and not working with the Israeli Foreign Ministry. Israel should set a clear condition: the consulates in Jerusalem may continue to operate only as branches of their respective embassies in Tel Aviv, just as the French consulate in Haifa functions today. Even this represents notable generosity, considering that both Britain and France deliberately placed their embassies in Tel Aviv rather than in the capital. Should these governments refuse, the aforementioned measures—and additional steps if necessary—must be enacted without delay. Such actions are essential not only to preserve and strengthen Israel’s sovereignty in Jerusalem and its legal borders but also to halt the ongoing subversive political activity of foreign powers within the capital and the State of Israel as a whole.
Ran Ichay, former Israeli diplomat (Translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)
