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The visit of the French Foreign Minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, to Israel turned into a diplomatic crisis between the two countries, when members of the Israeli police entered the site “El-Ilyona”, in which there is a church run by France, and is located on Mount Olives or Mount Al-Tur, east of the city of Jerusalem.

News sources were circulated video It shows Israeli police officers entering the church and arresting two members of the French Gendarmerie, who were present at the place to secure the visit of the French minister.

The name “Eliona” goes back to the Greek word “Elia” or “Elaion”, which means olive. The church is located on a plateau in which there is a cave that religious accounts say saw Christ teaching prayer to his disciples.

And she celebrates sources French sources indicate that the church was first built in the fourth century, during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine I, and a monastery and chapel were added in 430 AD.

The church was rebuilt during the reign of King Charlemagne. In the 12th century, the Crusaders built a new church on the same site, but it was neglected for several centuries.

In 1856, the site was purchased by Princess Eloise de Latour Duvarnay, a woman wealthy French aristocratsShe was visiting the city of Jerusalem, and she wanted to revive the church by getting a piece of land located on the Mount of Olives.

Princess Duvarnier financed the construction of the current building, which was completed in 1868, and then donated it to the French state in the same year. And put part of the site in the hands of the “white fathers”. a Carmelite nun12 of these still live there today.

The site of the “Elionah” Church is one of the four sites managed by the French Consulate in Jerusalem, from the middle of the 19th century to the present day, and is called “French buildings in the Holy Land”.

The other three sites are Deir Abu Ghosh, west of the city of Jerusalem, and the site of the tombs of the sultans, or “tombs of the kings of Judah,” located on Salah al-Din Street, which is a main street. in East Jerusalem, as well as the “Saint Anne” Church, which saw a similar diplomatic event in the presence of former French President Jacques Chirac.

In October 1996, while walking through the streets of the Old City of Jerusalem, former French President Jacques Chirac asked the Israeli security guards who were accompanying him to allow Palestinian citizens to shake his hand and talk to him. Then, when he arrived at St. Anne’s Church, he exploded in anger, asking that armed elements would not enter the church.

The same view was repeated by the current president of France. Emmanuel MacronWhen he visited Jerusalem in January 2022, when he asked Israeli police officers to leave the church.

The four French sites located in and around the city of Jerusalem are under the supervision of the French Consulate. And he says French experts This means that the armed forces of any country cannot enter without permission from the French diplomatic authorities.

The French Foreign Minister, Jean-Nual Barot, who canceled his visit to the church, said that the presence of Israel’s armed security forces is “unacceptable,” stressing that Paris will call the Israeli ambassador to him in the next few days.

The interior minister said Report to journalistsThe event undermines the relationship between the two countries, and comes at a time when he is making a “friendly” visit that would have pushed the region towards peace.

However, former French ambassador to Israel, Gerard Araud, told the newspaper Lofigaro The “French possessions in the Holy Land” do not have diplomatic status, such as an embassy or consulate, which means that Israel has the “right of a host country”.

Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I explained That police officers were present at the site, intending to secure the French minister, as specified in international agreements. The ministry explained that the security measures and procedures were explained to the French side in advance.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said the two French gendarmes refused to identify themselves, and were not wearing official uniforms or identification cards.

The new incident comes amid intense efforts by several international parties to avoid further escalation in the region, and calls for an end to the war in Gaza and Lebanon.