Wife of Israeli envoy in Senegal advised not to go to event after Arab objection

Israel’s ambassador to Senegal has protested an incident in which his wife was advised to refrain from attending a diplomatic event due to the objection of Arab participants.

Paul Hirschson complained that the French ambassador’s wife, who hosted a meeting for ambassadors’ spouses earlier in April, called his wife Jeannie Harrison a day before the event and told her that many people were “uncomfortable” with her presence.

The Diplomatic Spouses’ Organization holds events focused on Senegalese society and raises funds for charity. Its honorary president is First Lady Marieme Sall.

Harrison arrived in Senegal two and a half years ago, when her husband was appointed ambassador, and joined dozens of ambassadors’ spouses who are members of the official diplomatic group. She was even appointed vice president of the organization, ending her tenure last month, Ynet reported.

But representatives of Arab countries left the group in protest of Harrison’s acceptance, causing it to lose about half of its members. Sall defended the Israeli and said she wouldn’t let her be boycotted, according to the report.

About two weeks ago, the French ambassador’s wife hosted a gathering for all diplomatic spouses in Senegal at her house. She invited the Israeli envoy’s wife, who confirmed she would attend, but then got a phone call one day before the event.

Meantime spouses of some European ambassadors to Senegal supporting excluding @Israel is, well, wrong. (In Senegal, the land of #teranga, no less.) https://t.co/MqtNLARZcX

— Paul Hirschson???? (@paulhirschson) April 10, 2018

“I advise you not to come because it is uncomfortable for many that you are present,” Harrison was told, according to the report. “Not everyone likes Israel.”

A shocked Harrison was then quoted as saying: “The French ambassador’s wife is telling the Israeli envoy’s wife not to come to an event just because she is Israeli. That’s what I’m hearing and how I understand it.”

“I’m not telling you not to come,” answered the French ambassador’s wife. “I just think if you come it won’t be pleasant for you. There might be clashes. There might be people leaving. I’m concerned the event won’t go through smoothly.”

Harrison then reportedly decided not to attend an event where she wasn’t wanted.

The Israeli envoy slammed the French ambassador’s spouse last Tuesday in a series of tweets, saying that while the Arab representatives’ boycott didn’t bother him, when it came from a European it was “wrong.”

“Doesn’t surprise or even bother that spouses of some Arab ambassadors to Senegal, who don’t (yet) have diplomatic relations with Israel, object to the spouse of the Israeli ambassador being at diplomatic spouses’ events,” Hirschson wrote.

“[In the] meantime, spouses of some European ambassadors to Senegal supporting excluding Israel is, well, wrong.

“To her credit, the First Lady of Senegal objected to previous attempts to exclude Israel from events of the Diplomatic Spouses’ Organization,” he concluded.

“It’s very unpleasant to end my mission in this way,” Harrison told Ynet. “Especially when the French envoy’s wife was a friend of mine and they were in Israel and her husband was an ambassador to Israel.

“I will continue going to the organization’s activities until the end of our mission in August. I will also go to places that are uncomfortable to me. I’m not angry with her. I feel sad for her,” she said.