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Sunday, August 17, 2025
Sa’ar pushing to shut French consulate in Jerusalem in response to Macron’s plans to recognize Palestinian state
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
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, an Israeli diplomat tells The Times of Israel.
He brought the issue up in the cabinet meeting today.
A decision is expected to come in the near future, Israel Hayom reported.
Macron said in July that his country would formally recognize a Palestinian state during a UN meeting in September, setting off a wave of similar announcements by leading Western countries.
Eight countries – France, the UK, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Belgium, Spain and Sweden — maintain consulates-general in Jerusalem that predate Israel, without official diplomatic accreditation to Israel. The missions handle their countries’ relations with the Palestinian Authority and a range of issues inside of Jerusalem.
The presence of French consuls in Jerusalem stretches back to the 17th century, and the current building was opened in 1932, seen as a sign of France’s desire to reassert its historical role in the Holy Land.
The US closed its Jerusalem consulate in 2019 as it moved its embassy to Israel’s capital.
The Times of Israel Community.