From the Liveblog of
Monday, August 18, 2025
France warns Israel over reported plan to close Jerusalem consulate, says move would get ‘strong response’
Nava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.
Following reports that Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar is pushing for Israel to close France’s consulate in Jerusalem in response to French President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state, the French Foreign Ministry spokesperson says in a statement that Paris hasn’t received any official notice of such a move but warns 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,” reads the statement.
An Israeli diplomat told The Times of Israel yesterday that Sa’ar is considering shuttering France’s consulate-general in Jerusalem after Macron announced that Paris will unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state in September. Earlier today, Sa’ar revoked the visas of Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority in response to Canberra’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state and amid accusations that Australia is fostering antisemitism.
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.
The Times of Israel Community.