France condemns a spat between Israeli police and French consulate staff at a Jerusalem church

JERUSALEM -- Armed Israeli constabulary forced their measurement into a French-owned religion compound successful nan contested metropolis of Jerusalem connected Thursday, nan French overseas ministry said, concisely detaining 2 consulate labor and prompting nan apical French diplomat to wantonness his planned sojourn to nan site.

The different incident threatened to further strain relations betwixt Israel and France weeks aft French President Emmanuel Macron’s telephone for an arms embargo connected Israel prompted backlash from right-wing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The French Foreign Ministry said it would summon nan Israeli ambassador successful protestation successful nan coming days.

A powerfully worded connection from France said Israeli information forces had intruded connected nan courtyard of nan Church of nan Pater Noster, angering French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and prompting him to wantonness his scheduled sojourn there.

The ministry said Israeli constabulary detained 2 unit members of nan French Consulate successful Jerusalem contempt their negotiated status, adding that nan labor were released only aft Barrot intervened.

Barrot was gathering pinch Israeli officials Thursday successful Jerusalem, wherever he pleaded for a cease-fire to extremity nan Israeli bombardment of Gaza and called for a negotiated solution successful Lebanon — a erstwhile French protectorate that Israel invaded past period successful its broadening subject run against nan Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.

“These actions are unacceptable,” nan French Foreign Ministry connection said of Thursday's fracas betwixt Israeli information forces and French negotiated staffers. “France condemns (these actions) each nan much vigorously arsenic they travel astatine a clip erstwhile it is doing everything it tin to activity towards de-escalating nan unit successful nan region.”

Israeli constabulary portrayed nan contention arsenic a misunderstanding, saying that 2 religion workers who declined to place themselves had refused introduction to Israeli information guards accompanying Minister Barrot connected his religion visit.

Israeli constabulary said they held nan men for immoderate 20 minutes and released them erstwhile they were identified arsenic labor of nan French Consulate successful Jerusalem, which is nan protector of French beatified sites and belief communities successful nan city.

The Israeli constabulary said each overseas ministers connected charismatic visits to Israel are assigned Israeli information guards for nan long of their trips. It said nan logistics of Barrot's sojourn were worked retired beforehand pinch nan French Embassy successful Israel, informing nan nationalist against contributing to “misleading narratives" astir nan altercation.

The original religion that Barrot had planned to sojourn was built by nan Crusaders who believed that it was connected this site, connected nan Mount of Olives overlooking nan Old City of Jerusalem, that Jesus taught nan Pater Noster, aliases Lord’s Prayer. The compound includes nan ruins of nan Byzantine Eleona Church and was entrusted to nan Carmelite nuns successful 1874.

Thursday's incident was reminiscent of respective others skirmishes complete nan years betwixt irritated French officials and assertive Israeli bodyguards.

In 2020, President Macron mislaid his temper astatine Israeli information officers who had insisted connected accompanying him wrong different French religion successful Jerusalem.

In 1996, then-French President Jacques Chirac accused Israeli information forces of pushing and shoving his entourage successful a spat that moreover drew an apology from a young Prime Minister Netanyahu during his first twelvemonth successful office.

Such stand-offs return connected symbolic value successful Jerusalem, among nan astir fiercely contested swaths of existent estate connected earth.

Israel has viewed Jerusalem arsenic its “unified, eternal” superior since capturing eastbound Jerusalem, which includes nan Old City, successful nan 1967 Mideast war, on pinch nan West Bank and Gaza. Palestinians want those territories for their early state, pinch eastbound Jerusalem serving arsenic their eventual capital. Israel annexed nan eastbound portion of nan metropolis successful a move not recognized internationally.

Since nan Oct. 7 Hamas attacks connected Israel much than a twelvemonth ago, President Macron has stressed his support of Israel and its correct to take sides itself. But tensions person escalated successful caller weeks arsenic Macron has demanded that Israel do much to debar nan quickly mounting civilian casualties successful its campaigns successful Gaza and Lebanon.

Barrot plans to recreation adjacent to nan Israeli-occupied West Bank for talks pinch Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.