“France expects the Israeli authorities to fulfill their obligations under the Vienna Convention and provide protection for diplomatic and consular staff and their buildings,” a French source said.
France has asked the Foreign Ministry for Israel to bolster security at the European country’s consulate in Jerusalem following protests against it, N12 News reported on Thursday.
The outlet stated that the ministry had received the request, which was submitted following protests in September and October, and was also sent to the police.
“France expects the Israeli authorities to fulfill their obligations under the Vienna Convention and provide protection for diplomatic and consular staff and their buildings,” a French diplomatic source told N12.
The consulate, established in 1843 in the western part of Jerusalem, handles France’s diplomatic relations with the Palestinians in east Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. It also serves around 25,000 French citizens living in the city’s western half.
In recent months, the consulate was at the heart of a diplomatic spat between France and the Jewish state. Israeli media reported at the time of the protests that Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar had supported closing it after French President Emmanuel Macron announced his intention to recognize a Palestinian state.
A picture shows the French consulate in Jerusalem on June 18, 2024. (credit: Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images)
The same was reported by French newspaper Le Figaro in September, which noted that a source close to Macron had said the Foreign Ministry had informed France of the potential move.
MK Ohad Tal confronts French consulate worker
Further, N12 noted a more recent incident where, last week, Knesset members were at the location during a tour of the Israeli capital.
According to the report, Religious Zionist Party MK Ohad Tal, who was on the tour, confronted a French representative who was outside the consulate and asked, “Why do you work from here if you represent the Palestinians? This is Israel. We will make sure that you can no longer operate from here and represent our enemies.”
Referring to the incident, the French diplomatic source told N12 that “any attack on our staff at the consulate is unacceptable. There have been campaigns against the consulate for a long time. This cannot happen.”
The source continued, saying, “This is clearly a hostile act against a French representative; we are concerned.”