France threatens ‘strong response’ if Israel closes its Jerusalem consulate

Israeli plans to close France’s consulate in Jerusalem would provoke a “strong response” from Paris, a French Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

The statement followed reports that Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar is pushing for Israel to close the French consulate in the capital, in response to French President Emmanuel Macron’s intention to recognize a Palestinian state. Macron’s declaration in July that France would recognize a State of Palestine at the UN next month kicked off a series of Western countries saying they would follow suit.

The French Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a statement that Paris had not received any official notice of such a move, but warned against it.

“We have not received any official notification from the Israeli authorities regarding this step, which could seriously harm our bilateral relations and provoke a strong response,” the statement said.

In late July, Macron announced on social media that his government would recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations in September, a step he called consistent with his country’s “historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.”

Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and other countries have since planned similar announcements, or have floated doing so.

Israel has rejected recognition of a Palestinian state as a “reward for Hamas” that hurts chances of a ceasefire in Gaza. In July, the Knesset voted 71-13 for a symbolic motion in favor of annexing the West Bank.

France has had a diplomatic presence in Jerusalem dating back to the 17th century. The current building was opened in 1932, and was seen as a sign of France’s desire to reassert its historical role in the holy land.

France’s Jerusalem consulate — along with those of the UK, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Belgium, Spain, and Sweden — predates the founding of Israel and operates without official accreditation to the state. These eight missions serve as their countries’ channels to the Palestinian Authority and handle a range of issues within Jerusalem.

France is not the only country to face retaliation from Sa’ar. Earlier today, the foreign minister revoked the visas of Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority in response to two recent decisions from Canberra: to recognize a Palestinian state, and to bar far-right MK Simcha Rothman from entering the country.

In a social media post on Monday, Sa’ar called those decisions “shameful and unacceptable,” and said Australia’s ban on Rothman and former justice minister Ayelet Shaked “fuel” rising antisemitism in the country.

Lazar Berman contributed to this report.