France summons Israeli ambassador over diplomatic incident in Jerusalem

PARIS -- France's Foreign Ministry summoned Israel's ambassador on Tuesday following an incident involving Israeli security forces during a visit last week by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot to Jerusalem.

The French ministry condemned the presence of armed Israeli police at the Eléona, a French-owned site on the Mount of Olives, and the brief detention of two French consulate gendarmes with diplomatic status.

Barrot canceled his scheduled visit to the compound. France has demanded measures to prevent such incidents from reoccurring.

Israeli police portrayed the controversy as a misunderstanding, saying two church workers who declined to identify themselves had refused entry to Israeli security guards accompanying Barrot. Police said they held the men for about 20 minutes and released them once they were identified as employees of the French Consulate in Jerusalem, the protector of French religious communities and four holy sites in the city.

Israeli police said all foreign ministers on official visits are assigned Israeli security guards. It said the logistics of Barrot’s visit were worked out beforehand with the French Embassy in Israel.

The diplomatic rift arose amid heightened security concerns for the France-Israel UEFA Nations League match on Thursday in Paris. French authorities have announced extensive security measures to safeguard the event following violence against Israeli fans in Amsterdam.