Last Thursday, Israeli security forces entered the Eleona, a French national estate in East Jerusalem, without authorization, on the sidelines of a visit by Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.
Israel’s ambassador to France, Joshua Zarak, has been summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday November 12, the Quai d’Orsay tells Figaroconfirming a report by BFMTV. It should “provide explanations and discuss possible follow-up action”. from the diplomatic incident that took place last Thursday in Jerusalem. On the sidelines of a visit by Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Israeli security forces entered Eleona, a French national estate in East Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives, armed and without authorization.
Two French gendarmes were also arrested and later released. by the Israeli police, even though they were agents with diplomatic status. These facts “are not acceptable”said the Minister on Thursday. “France condemns them all the more vigorously as they come at a time when it is doing its utmost to work towards de-escalating violence in the region”.reminds the Quai d’Orsay.
Shortly after the events, Israeli diplomats assured us that security issues had been taken into account. “clarified” in advance with the French embassy in Tel Aviv. The presence of Israeli security personnel was intended to “to guarantee (security) of Jean-Noël Barrot, said the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement.
Outraged political reactions
The President of the French National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, has “firmly” condemned the diplomatic incident on Friday, with some sixty MPs calling for Emmanuel Macron to recall “immediately the French ambassador to Israel to France for consultation.”. “An extremely serious incident occurred yesterday at the Eleona, the French national estate in Jerusalem. I strongly condemn it, even more so at a time when France is working for peace in the region. I made a point of expressing my indignation to my Israeli counterpart”.Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana,” wrote Ms Braun-Pivet on X.
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Later in the day, some sixty MPs signed a joint communiqué in which they took the view that “note” of Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot’s decision to “summon the Israeli ambassador to France”.wishing this summons to take place “without delay. They also asked French President Emmanuel Macron to “to immediately recall the French ambassador to Israel in France for consultation.”.
They also asked Yaël Braun-Pivet to address the Knesset, on behalf of the Assembly, the “indignant protests of the deputies, asking the Israeli parliamentarians to “condemn the serious actions of their government”.. Among the signatories were most of the New Popular Front figures, joined by Lionel Causse and Éléonore Caroit (Ensemble pour la République), Laëtitia Saint-Paul (Horizons), Richard Ramos (MoDem), Harold Huwart (Liot) and ex-Renaissance members Stella Dupont and Sacha Houlié.