Israeli police entered the French-owned Eleona church compound in Jerusalem, on Thursday, briefly detaining two gendarmes and prompting French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot to abandon a scheduled visit, an AFP journalist reported.
"I will not enter the Eleona Domain today, because Israeli security forces entered with weapons, without prior French authorisation, without agreeing to leave today," Barrot said at the scene, calling the standoff "unacceptable".
"This violation of the integrity of a domain placed in the care of France is liable to weaken the ties that I came here to cultivate with Israel, at a time when all of us need to help the region advance on the path towards peace," he added.
Israel’s ambassador to be summoned
The foreign ministry in Paris later said Israel's ambassador would be summoned over the incident.
The Sanctuary of the Eleona sits in a Jerusalem compound owned by France, and along with three other sites in Israel makes up the French national domain in the Holy Land.
The sites have been the focus of diplomatic incidents in the past.
The national domain was attributed to France before Israel's creation and is administered as a private property by the French consulate in Jerusalem.
The AFP journalist saw Israeli police surround the two French gendarmes before pushing one of them to the ground.
The gendarme identified himself and shouted "Don't touch me" several times, according to the journalist.
Both gendarmes were then led into police cars. They were later released.
It was not clear why the Israeli police had entered the site.
"The Eleona Domain... has not only belonged to France for more than 150 years, but France also ensures its security, maintains it," Barrot said.
"The integrity of the four domains that France is responsible for here in Jerusalem must be respected," he added.
Prospects for ending the war
Previously, Barrot stated on his X account that he came to Israel "to continue an intensive dialogue on Lebanon and Gaza," where the Israeli army is fighting Hezbollah and Hamas, two allies of Iran.
He had visited Israel less than a month ago, on the first anniversary of the October 7 attack.
The French envoy said that he saw prospects for ending Israel's wars in Gaza and Lebanon after Donald Trump was elected US president.
"I believe a window has opened for putting an end to the tragedy in which Israelis, Palestinians, and the entire region have been immersed since October 7 last year," Barrot told reporters in Jerusalem.
Speaking alongside outgoing Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, Barrot cited Trump's "wish to see the end of the Middle East's endless wars" as well as Israel's recent "tactical successes."
Barrot said he hoped a "diplomatic solution" would emerge "in the coming weeks."
“Political perspective”
"Force alone will not be enough to guarantee Israel's security," he said, adding that "military success could not be a substitute for a political perspective."
"It is time to move towards a deal that would allow for the liberation of all hostages, a ceasefire, and the mass entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and to prepare for the day after."
Barrot said "Israel has the right to defend itself" but pointed to "colonization," "humanitarian aid restrictions," and "the continuation of airstrikes in north Gaza" as risk factors for Israel's security.
The French minister is expected to speak with Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas and his prime minister, Muhammad Mustafa.
Wearing the yellow ribbon, symbolizing the hostages held in Gaza since October 7, 2023, he earlier met in Tel Aviv with the families of two Franco-Israeli hostages, Ohad Yahalomi and Ofer Kalderon. They are among the 97 Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, of whom 34 are considered dead by the Israeli army.
Barrot also met with Ron Dermer, a government member and close associate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The French Foreign Minister said on France 2 on Tuesday that he was making this trip to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and "respect for international humanitarian law" in the besieged and war-torn Palestinian territory.
This visit comes as relations between Israel and France have sharply deteriorated in recent weeks following remarks by President Emmanuel Macron calling for a halt to arms sales used in Gaza and accusing Israel of "spreading barbarism."
"The dialogue has never been broken," Barrot emphasized during the television interview.
With AFP
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