   
Ongoing annoyances between Israel and French Consulate General in Jerusalem
Translated from Le Monde, , 16 January 2010
Ongoing annoyances between Israel and the French Consulate General in Jerusalem.
The surrounding of the French Cultural Centre by Israeli police in East Jerusalem on Thursday 17th December has been described by France as excessive. These actions aimed to prevent a cultural demonstration commemorating the Arab area of the city. Jerusalem's east side, annexed after the 1967 war, is claimed by the Palestinians. It was the latest action to date taken against the French Consulate General in Jerusalem, upon which the centre depends. The Israeli authorities have created an increasing amount of difficulty for the administration, which acts as an embassy in the Palestinian Authority, impeding the Cultural Centres co-operative work in the Occupied Territories.
For example, consular officials are experiencing the greatest difficulties in obtaining residency permits for Israel since last summer, which until then were issued by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs to personnel of all nationalities based in the territory, including in East Jerusalem. This document acts as a safeguard and opens doors for officials during their placement in the Palestinian Territories.
Possession of this document is all the more important since, for the past year, embassy staff and consuls, either French in Israeli or Israeli in France, benefit from a visa exemption. Around ten consular officials have already seen their residency permits refused. For the most part, these consist of international volunteers (the term used to describe participants still in national service after the end of the compulsory period of service) holding service passports.
The consequence is that we no longer have a permit to reside in Israel, explained one, a French teacher in the West Bank who prefers to remain anonymous. "At each border crossing or check-point, we could be arrested, placed in administrative administration or expelled. The Consulate advises us not to travel abroad for fear that we will be deported as soon as we re-enter Israeli soil."
Another interviewee goes one step further: Not only does Israel refuse to accept responsibility for the duties incumbent upon it as an occupying power, but it places obstacles in the way of countries who carry out these duties in its place."
Spokesman for the Israeli Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Yigan Palmor, put into perspective the extent of this matter. According to him, only six staff are concerned, who did not provide an address in Israel". He also claimed that the tightening of conditions for awarding residency visas was in response to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which he said has become more stringent in the issuing of identity cards to diplomats posted in France."
Projects Sidelined.
France remains silent for now, even though the number of officials affected is increasing with each new set of arrivals. Many collaborative projects, such as the French department at Birzeit University in the West Bank, could be put in jeopardy. One young French woman who was supposed to work there, Elodie Michelet (who is not attached to the Consulate), was turned away when she landed at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv. Veronique Bontemps, an anthropologist invited to a seminar organised by the consulate, was subject to the same fate in November because she is married to a Palestinian.
In the medium term, France's entire assistance strategy in the Occupied Territories seems at threat of becoming paralysed. At this rate, in six months, we will shut up shop, confirmed a French diplomat, in reference to the Service de Coopération based in East Jerusalem. Privately, many diplomats point out that other European diplomatic missions located in Jerusalem are subject to similar harassment. They said the Israeli authorities, anxious to preserve their sovereignty over the entire Holy City, may be tempted to push them to Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority.
False, there is no conspiracy, objected Mr Palmor. The problem is restricted to France and it can be resolved. Consular employees are keen to believe this statement.
Translated by an article which appeared in LE MONDE on 19th December 2009. The original version was written by Benjamin Barthe.
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