France Claims Israeli Police Storm French-Owned Church Compound In Jerusalem

Jerusalem: Armed Israeli police forced ir way into a French-owned church compound in contested city of Jerusalem on Thursday, French foreign ministry said, briefly detaining two consulate employees and prompting top French diplomat to abandon his planned visit to site.

unusual incident threatened to furr strain relations between Israel and France weeks after French President Emmanuel Macron's call for an arms embargo on Israel prompted backlash from right-wing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu .

French Foreign Ministry said it would summon Israeli ambassor in protest in coming days.

A strongly worded statement from France said Israeli security forces h intruded on courtyard of Church of Pater ster, angering French Foreign Minister Jean-el Barrot and prompting him to abandon his scheduled visit re.

ministry said Israeli police detained two staff members of French Consulate in Jerusalem despite ir diplomatic status, ding that employees were released only after Barrot intervened.

“This attack on integrity of a domain placed under responsibility of France is likely to weaken bonds I have, in fact, come to cultivate with Israel at a time when we all need to make progress in region on ro to peace,” Barrot told reporters in Jerusalem.

Barrot was meeting with Israeli officials Thursday in city, where he pleed for a cease-fire to stop Israeli bombardment of Gaza and called for a diplomatic solution in Leban — a former French protectorate that Israel inved last month in its broening military campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.

“se actions are unacceptable,” French Foreign Ministry statement said of Thursday's fracas between Israeli security forces and French diplomatic staffers. “France condemns (se actions) all more vigorously as y come at a time when it is doing everything it can to work towards de-escalating violence in region.” Israeli police portrayed controversy as a misunderstanding, saying that two church workers who declined to identify mselves h refused entry to Israeli security guards accompanying Minister Barrot on his church visit.

Israeli police said y held men for some 20 minutes and released m once y were identified as employees of French Consulate in Jerusalem, which is protector of French religious communities and four holy sites in city.

Israeli police said all foreign ministers on official visits to Israel are assigned Israeli security guards for ir trips. It said logistics of Barrot's visit were worked out beforehand with French Embassy in Israel, warning public against contributing to “misleing narratives" about altercation.

compound that Barrot h planned to visit — on Mount of Olives overlooking Old City of Jerusalem — holds a church originally built by Crusers that believed site to be where Jesus taught Pater ster, or Lord's Prayer.

It was later acquired by Princess Héloïse de la Tour d'Auvergne, who h prayer written in calligraphy in numerous langus on walls of cloisters and courtyard, also home to ruins of Byzantine Eleona Church. site was entrusted to French Carmelite nuns in 1874.

“This domain is t only one that has belonged to France for over 150 years,” Barrot said. “It's one where France has ensured security and maintenance with ermous care.” Thursday's incident was reminiscent of several ors skirmishes over years between irritated French officials and assertive Israeli bodyguards.

In 2020, President Macron lost his temper at Israeli security officers who h insisted on accompanying him inside ar French church in Jerusalem.

In 1996, n-French President Jacques Chirac accused Israeli security forces of pushing and shoving his entour 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 most fiercely contested swaths of real estate on earth.

Israel has viewed Jerusalem as its “unified, eternal” capital since capturing east Jerusalem, which includes Old City, in 1967 Mideast war, along with West Bank and Gaza. Palestinians want those territories for ir future state, with east Jerusalem serving as ir eventual capital. Israel annexed eastern part of city in a move t recognized internationally.

Since Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel more than a year ago, President Macron has stressed his support of Israel and its right to defend itself. But tensions have escalated in recent weeks as Macron has demanded that Israel do more to avoid rapidly mounting civilian casualties in its campaigns in Gaza and Leban.

Barrot plans to travel next to Israeli-occupied West Bank for talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.