France’s Foreign Ministry summoned Israel’s ambassador on Tuesday after an incident during French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot’s visit to Jerusalem last week. The ministry condemned the presence of armed Israeli police at the French-owned Eléona site on the Mount of Olives and the brief detention of two French consulate gendarmes with diplomatic immunity. As a result, Barrot canceled a planned visit to the compound and demanded measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Israeli police described the situation as a misunderstanding, stating that two church workers had initially refused to cooperate with security personnel accompanying Barrot. Once the workers were identified as French Consulate employees, they were released after being detained for about 20 minutes. Israeli police emphasized that all foreign ministers are assigned Israeli security during official visits, and the logistics of Barrot’s trip were coordinated with the French Embassy.
The diplomatic friction coincides with heightened security concerns ahead of the France-Israel UEFA Nations League match in Paris on Thursday, where French authorities are implementing additional security measures following recent violence against Israeli fans in Amsterdam.
