France has accused Israel of harming bilateral ties after Israeli security forces entered a French-administered holy site in Jerusalem, briefly detaining two French diplomats during a visit by Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.
The incident took place on Thursday as Barrot prepared to visit the Church of the Pater Noster on the Mount of Olives – one of four sites under French administration in Jerusalem.
The compound, owned by France, is a sensitive location and part of the country’s historic ties to the city.
Armed Israeli police forced their way into the church compound, detaining two consulate gendarmes and leading Barrot to cancel his planned visit.
The clash has further strained relations, coming just weeks after French President Emmanuel Macron’s call for an arms embargo on Israel sparked backlash from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The French Foreign Ministry said it would summon the Israeli ambassador in protest in the coming days.
'Unacceptable actions'
In a strongly worded statement, France condemned the Israeli forces’ entry into the Church of the Pater Noster courtyard, noting Barrot’s frustration with the disruption, which forced him to abandon his visit.
The ministry added that the two consulate staff members, despite their diplomatic status, were only released after Barrot intervened.
“This attack on the integrity of a domain placed under the responsibility of France is likely to weaken the bonds I have, in fact, come to cultivate with Israel at a time when we all need to make progress in the region on the road to peace,” Barrot told reporters in Jerusalem.
Barrot was in Jerusalem to meet Israeli officials, where he urged a ceasefire to end Israel’s bombardment of Gaza and called for a diplomatic solution in Lebanon – a former French protectorate and current conflict zone as Israel wages a broader campaign against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.
“These actions are unacceptable,” the ministry statement said, adding that “France condemns [these actions] all the more vigorously as they come at a time when it is doing everything it can to work towards de-escalating the violence in the region”.
Israel downplays 'misunderstanding'
Israeli police portrayed the incident as a misunderstanding, stating that two church workers initially refused entry to Israeli security guards accompanying Barrot.
Israeli police said they held the men for about 20 minutes, releasing them once it was confirmed they were French consulate staffers.
The police added that all foreign ministers on official visits to Israel are assigned Israeli security guards, and that arrangements for Barrot’s visit had been made in advance with the French Embassy in Israel.
The police statement warned against “misleading narratives” about the altercation.
Historic religious site
The compound that Barrot had planned to visit – on the Mount of Olives overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem – holds a church originally built by Crusaders that believed the site to be where Jesus taught the Pater Noster, or Lord’s Prayer.
It was later acquired by Princess Héloïse de la Tour d’Auvergne, who had the prayer written in calligraphy in numerous languages on the walls of the cloisters and courtyard, also home to the the ruins of the Byzantine Eleona Church.
The site was entrusted to French Carmelite nuns in 1874.
“This domain is not only one that has belonged to France for over 150 years,” Barrot said. “It's one where France has ensured security and maintenance with enormous care.”
Previous 'stand-offs'
Thursday's incident was reminiscent of several others skirmishes over the years between irritated French officials and assertive Israeli bodyguards.
In 2020, President Macron lost his temper at Israeli security officers who had insisted on accompanying him inside another French church in Jerusalem.
In 1996, then-French President Jacques Chirac accused Israeli security forces of pushing and shoving his entourage in a spat that even drew an apology from a young Prime Minister Netanyahu during his first year in office.
Such stand-offs take on symbolic significance in Jerusalem, among the most fiercely contested swathes of real estate on earth.
Israel has viewed Jerusalem as its “unified, eternal” capital since capturing east Jerusalem – which includes the Old City – in the 1967 Six Day War, along with the West Bank and Gaza.
Palestinians want those territories for their future state, with east Jerusalem serving as their eventual capital.
Israel annexed the eastern part of the city in a move that has not been recognised internationally.
