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The Consulate General of France in Jerusalem provides services to Palestinians and maintains contact with the Palestinian Authority. The consulate is located near the
Old City of Jerusalem The Old City of Jerusalem (; ) is a walled area in Jerusalem. In a tradition that may have begun with an 1840s British map of the city, the Old City is divided into four uneven quarters: the Muslim Quarter, the Christian Quarter, the Arm ...
, on Paul Emile Botta Street, named after French archaeologist
Paul-Émile Botta Paul-Émile Botta (6 December 1802 – 29 March 1870) was an Italian-born French scientist who served as Consul in Mosul (then in the Ottoman Empire, now in Iraq) from 1842, and who discovered the ruins of the ancient Assyrian capital of Dur-Shar ...
It began its tumultuous history in the early 17th century. In 1535 the first capitulation between France and the Ottoman Empire granted France the right to appoint
consuls A consul is an official representative of a government who resides in a foreign country to assist and protect citizens of the consul's country, and to promote and facilitate commercial and diplomatic relations between the two countries. A consu ...
in the cities of the Empire.Hershlag Zvi Yehuda. Introduction to the modern economic history of the Middle-East. E. J. Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands (1980) The capitulations constituted the legal basis of the French
protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over ...
over the
Holy Places A sacred space, sacred ground, sacred place, sacred temple, holy ground, holy place or holy site is a location which is regarded to be sacred or hallowed. The sacredness of a Sacred natural site, natural feature may accrue through tradition or ...
,
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
Christians, and by extension,
Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...
Christians. In 1623, King Louis XIII appointed the first consul in Jerusalem "for the Glory of God and to relieve the pious pilgrims who by devotion visit the Holy Places." The presence of consuls in Jerusalem was intermittent until 1843. Amidst the growing competition between European powers over the exclusive protectorate that France was entitled to exercise over Christians, the rank of the Consul in Jerusalem was raised to that of a Consul General in 1893. Despite the abolition of France's protectorate over the Latins and the Turkish-ruled Holy Places in 1914, the Consulate General tried to maintain and expand its influence in Palestine. Since the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, the Consulate General of France in Jerusalem has held the status of a quasi-embassy. The consulate is responsible for the area of the corpus separatum and
Judea and Samaria The Judea and Samaria Area (; ) is an administrative division used by the State of Israel to refer to the entire West Bank, which has been occupied by Israel since 1967, but excludes East Jerusalem (see Jerusalem Law). Its area is split into ...
. The consulate's districts include Jerusalem, the
Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip, also known simply as Gaza, is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea; it is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories, the other being the West Bank, that make up the State of Palestine. I ...
and the
West Bank The West Bank is located on the western bank of the Jordan River and is the larger of the two Palestinian territories (the other being the Gaza Strip) that make up the State of Palestine. A landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
. The Consulate General is independent from the Embassy of France in
Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...
and does not have official diplomatic relations with Israel. (2002) All contacts with the State of Israel lie exclusively within the jurisdiction of the embassy in Tel Aviv. Since its establishment in 1994, the consulate has been the French diplomatic representative to the
Palestinian National Authority The Palestinian Authority (PA), officially known as the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), is the Fatah-controlled government body that exercises partial civil control over the Palestinian enclaves in the Israeli-occupied West Bank as a c ...
., (1996), p.943


History


Ottoman era


France's special status

Following the signing in 1525 of the first capitulations by
Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman I (; , ; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the Western world and as Suleiman the Lawgiver () in his own realm, was the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman sultan between 1520 a ...
and Blaise de Montluc, Ambassador of King Francis I to
Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
, France was granted the right to protect its subjects residing or trading in the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
, the Christian Holy Places in the Empire, particularly those in the
Holy Land The term "Holy Land" is used to collectively denote areas of the Southern Levant that hold great significance in the Abrahamic religions, primarily because of their association with people and events featured in the Bible. It is traditionall ...
, and to appoint
consuls A consul is an official representative of a government who resides in a foreign country to assist and protect citizens of the consul's country, and to promote and facilitate commercial and diplomatic relations between the two countries. A consu ...
in the cities of the Empire. The capitulations constituted the legal basis of the French
protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over ...
exercised over the Holy places,
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
Christians, and by extension over
Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...
Christians. France was then granted a special status in the Holy Land. After an incident involving the
Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...
s and the
Armenians Armenians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the Armenian highlands of West Asia.Robert Hewsen, Hewsen, Robert H. "The Geography of Armenia" in ''The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiq ...
at the
Church of the Nativity The Church of the Nativity, or Basilica of the Nativity, is a basilica located in Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine. The grotto holds a prominent religious significance to Christianity, Christians of various denominations as the Nativity of Jesus, ...
in Bethlehem,
King Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown. ...
was called upon to restore the rights of the Latins. Louis XIII sent the French diplomat Louis Deshayes de Cormenin who achieved a certain success. It was then that King Louis XIII decided to appoint a Consul in Jerusalem "for the Glory of God and to relieve the pious pilgrims whom by devotion visit the
Holy places A sacred space, sacred ground, sacred place, sacred temple, holy ground, holy place or holy site is a location which is regarded to be sacred or hallowed. The sacredness of a Sacred natural site, natural feature may accrue through tradition or ...
." In accordance with the terms of the treaty, and following a series of negotiations of the French Ambassador in Constantinople, the first consul in Jerusalem was nominated in 1621 by King Louis XIII. The first Consul-General, Jean Lempereur arrived in Jerusalem in 1623. Dror Ze'evi describes in his book the circumstances of his arrival as follows : ''"Bearing a royal Ottoman decree, he proceeded to the city with an impressive entourage, and finally presented his credentials to a haughty and reserved local qadi. He was allowed to reside in the Christian neighborhood, provided he would pay at some later date a sum of money promised in the decree."'' But his presence was not well received by the local authorities. Jean Lempereur was later detained and deported to Damascus. He had to pay a large ransom to be released by his captor. His successors were equally ill-received, and their presence in Jerusalem became short and sporadic. For example, Jean Lempereur was consul for four years (1621–1625), and later replaced by Sébastien de Brémond (1699–1700) and by Jean de Blacas (1713–1714).


A disputed status

The nineteenth century was marked by European powers' growing and conflicting interests in the
Levant The Levant ( ) is the subregion that borders the Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean sea to the west, and forms the core of West Asia and the political term, Middle East, ''Middle East''. In its narrowest sense, which is in use toda ...
. Great Britain, Russia,
Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
, along with other European countries, tried to expand their influence by extending their control over religious communities. As a result, France's protectorate over Christians became contested and rivaled. For example, in 1841, an
Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
Bishop was nominated in Jerusalem, which was considered to be a diplomatic victory for Britain and Prussia. In 1847, the first Russian Ecclesiastical Mission, headed by
Archimandrite The title archimandrite (; ), used in Eastern Christianity, originally referred to a superior abbot ('' hegumenos'', , present participle of the verb meaning "to lead") whom a bishop appointed to supervise several "ordinary" abbots and monaste ...
Porphyrius Ouspensky, who later became Bishop, was sent to Jerusalem. Otherwise, European powers came to be represented by Consuls in Palestine. The appointment of a British consul in 1838 was followed by the appointment of a consul of Prussia and of
Sardinia Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...
in 1843, and by the appointment of an Austrian consul in 1849 and of a Spanish consul in 1854. Alphonse d'Alonzo, former attaché to the Consulate General of France in Jerusalem, wrote in 1901 that the Russian and the French Consuls were "irreconcilable rivals". (1901) Amidst this growing competition between European powers, the Consul of France, Count Gabriel de Lantigny, decided to create Brothers of Christians schools and entrusted them to a Catholic congregation, known as the
Lazarists The Congregation of the Mission (), abbreviated CM and commonly called the Vincentians or Lazarists, is a Catholic society of apostolic life of pontifical right for men founded by Vincent de Paul. It is associated with the Vincentian Family, ...
. Later, when a
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem () is the Latin Catholic ecclesiastical patriarchate in Jerusalem, officially seated in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem is the archbishop of Latin Church Catholics of th ...
was re-established in 1847, despite France's prior reluctance to the appointment of
Giuseppe Valerga Giuseppe Valerga (9 April 1813 – 2 December 1872) was the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from 1847 until his death in 1872; the first resident such since the Crusades. He held the title of one of the fathers of the First Vatican Council. In addi ...
as a Patriarch (mostly because he was a citizen of the rival Kingdom of Sardinia and the Grand Master of the Order of the
Holy Sepulchre The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also known as the Church of the Resurrection, is a fourth-century church in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. The church is the seat of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Some ...
, a Franciscan Order), the Consul General of France Helouis-Jorelle recognized Giuseppe Valerga's high distinction when he arrived in Jerusalem on January 17, 1848. The replacement of Helouis Jorelle by Emile Botta on November 1, 1848, marked the beginning of a period of collaboration between the newly appointed Consul and the Patriarch. To maintain the primacy of the French representative in Palestine, his rank was raised to that of a Consul General in 1893. France's special status in the Holy Land and protectorate over the Catholics of Latin rite were internationally recognized in the
Congress of Berlin At the Congress of Berlin (13 June – 13 July 1878), the major European powers revised the territorial and political terms imposed by the Russian Empire on the Ottoman Empire by the Treaty of San Stefano (March 1878), which had ended the Rus ...
in 1878. It was then officially recognized by the
Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...
in 1888. In addition, through the Agreements of Mytilene and Constantinople, tax and custom privileges were notably granted to religious communities placed under the protection of France, thus enabling it to confirm its protectorate.


British Mandate


End of the Protectorate over the 'Latin' Christians

With the end of the Ottoman Empire, the Consulate General of France in Jerusalem ceased to be placed under the authority of the embassy in Constantinople. Following the
San Remo conference The San Remo conference was an international meeting of the post-World War I Allied Supreme Council as an outgrowth of the Paris Peace Conference, held at Castle Devachan in Sanremo, Italy, from 19 to 26 April 1920. The San Remo Resolution ...
and the establishment of the
British Mandate for Palestine The Mandate for Palestine was a League of Nations mandate for British administration of the territories of Palestine and Transjordanwhich had been part of the Ottoman Empire for four centuriesfollowing the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in Wo ...
, France lost its protectorate over the Holy Land, and the prerogatives of the Consul General were subsequently reduced. Catherine Niraud summarizes the situation as follows: "in early 1924, last vestiges of the protectorate exercised by France for four centuries – and unbroken except for World War I – over the 'Latin' Christians of the former Ottoman Empire disappeared. The era of the privileged French presence in Palestine and more specifically in Jerusalem (...) had come to a close." (Spring 1998)


Restoring the status quo

Despite the official end of the French protectorate and a lesser role recognized by the ruling authority in Palestine, France was not inclined to diminish its influence in the region. Dominique Trimbur wrote "Paris and its representatives acted as if France still occupied the place of protective power which it had at the time of the Ottoman Empire." France sought to restore its traditional role in Palestine, to protect the Catholic communities. Dominique Trimbur stresses the role of Amédée Outrey, Consul General of France in Jerusalem from 1938 to 1941, in restoring the status quo: "for him, it (was) first of all a matter of serving as the arbitrator of the communities and of avoiding absolutely any British interference in their affairs." Through the restoration of buildings ( Abbey of Abu Ghosh), maneuvers to have French citizens appointed to positions of responsibility, and the attribution of medals to the directors of seminars devoted to France, Outrée tried to restore France's historic dominance.


Cultural influence

France also sought to extend its influence through the diffusion of French culture throughout Mandatory Palestine. France aspired to open a lycée français, open to all races. However, in a context marked by heightened tensions between the Arab and Jewish communities,
Zionist Zionism is an Ethnic nationalism, ethnocultural nationalist movement that emerged in History of Europe#From revolution to imperialism (1789–1914), Europe in the late 19th century that aimed to establish and maintain a national home for the ...
communities strongly opposed the project and it was later abandoned. It was later revised and reborn in 1934 as a French-Hebraic high school, but was never fully utilized as a working institution.Méouchy Nadine Méouchy, Sluglett Peter. The British and French Mandates in Comparative Perspectives. Brill.(2004). p.293 Two projects finally came to fruition when Amédée Outrey was Consul General of France in Jerusalem : the French Cultural Center and a chair of French Civilization at
Hebrew University The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; ) is an Israeli public research university based in Jerusalem. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Chaim Weizmann in July 1918, the public university officially opened on 1 April 1925. It is the second-ol ...
were both opened during Outrey's mandate. In a letter sent to the French
Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...
, the director of the French Cultural Center insisted on its neutrality amidst growing tension in Palestine. He wrote in 1935 "I have the honor to inform you that in the present state of things, the center remains politically uninvolved. It is so true that it is considered pro-Jewish by the Arabs and Germans, pro-Arab by the Jews, as far as the English are concerned, they seem to not care about our label and let us work in peace." The French Cultural Center, located on Ben Yehuda Street in the new city of Jerusalem, was equipped with a library, and hosting conferences of French lectures by writers who came to Jerusalem. The establishment of this institution was deemed to be a success. The French cultural center was a major instrument in the diffusion of French culture.


Construction of the new Consulate

From 1843, the successive Consuls began to voice dissatisfaction with their housing conditions in Jerusalem; they found the living situation unhealthy, precarious and cramped. Above all, the housing conditions did not reflect France's prior rank in Palestine. In 1910, thanks to a contribution of Count Michel de Pierredon, France acquired 5,054 m2 of land in the west side of Jerusalem, next to the
King David Hotel The King David Hotel (; ) is a 5-star hotel in Jerusalem and a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. Opened in 1931, it was built with locally quarried pink limestone and was founded by Ezra Mosseri, a wealthy Egyptian Jewish banker. It ...
near the Old City. The architect was then selected to draw the plan of the new building. The Consul General at that time was very involved in the conception of the building as shown in the following excerpt: Construction of the building began towards the end of 1929 and was completed three years later in 1932. The imposing
Neo-Renaissance Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th-century Revivalism (architecture), architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival architecture, Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival ar ...
style of the building was aimed at asserting France's prior influence in Palestine, at a time when France was being deprived of its ancient prerogatives by the Mandatory Powers. The Consul General Amédée Outrey, aware of the role France could play on a cultural level, suggested in a letter sent to the Ministry in June 1938 that concerts of modern French music could be held in "the reception rooms in the Consular residence (that) offer the most pleasant context for artistic expressions.”


The Consulate General since the creation of the state of Israel


The Consulate General: a unique ''sui generis'' status

Since the creation of the State of Israel and its recognition by France in 1948, the Consulate General of France in Jerusalem developed a unique ''
sui generis ( , ) is a Latin phrase that means "of its/their own kind" or "in a class by itself", therefore "unique". It denotes an exclusion to the larger system an object is in relation to. Several disciplines use the term to refer to unique entities. ...
'' status, as a diplomatic entity attached to the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. The consulate is responsible for the area of the corpus separatum and the Israeli-occupied territories. The consulate's district includes Jerusalem, the
Gaza Strip The Gaza Strip, also known simply as Gaza, is a small territory located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea; it is the smaller of the two Palestinian territories, the other being the West Bank, that make up the State of Palestine. I ...
and the
West Bank The West Bank is located on the western bank of the Jordan River and is the larger of the two Palestinian territories (the other being the Gaza Strip) that make up the State of Palestine. A landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
. During the
Jordanian annexation of the West Bank The Jordanian administration of the West Bank officially began on 24 April 1950, and ended with the decision to sever ties on 31 July 1988. The period started during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, when Jordan occupied and subsequently annexed the ...
, the Consulate General of France in Jerusalem was not attached to the Embassy of France in
Amman Amman ( , ; , ) is the capital and the largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of four million as of 2021, Amman is Jordan's primate city and is the largest city in the Levant ...
. Today it is independent from the Embassy of France in
Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...
and does not have official diplomatic relations with Israel. All contacts with the State of Israel are under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Embassy in Tel Aviv. Since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in 1994, the Consulate General of France has been the French diplomatic representative to the
Palestinian National Authority The Palestinian Authority (PA), officially known as the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), is the Fatah-controlled government body that exercises partial civil control over the Palestinian enclaves in the Israeli-occupied West Bank as a c ...
. France maintains no official ties with
Hamas The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas (the Arabic acronym from ), is a Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islam, Sunni Islamism, Islamist political organisation with a military wing, the Qassam Brigades. It has Gaza Strip under Hama ...
but admitted contacts with the ruling party of the Gaza Strip. As a result of this unique status and of the complex political situation, in a city divided from 1948 to 1967 between Israel and Jordan, the Consul General had to cross
Mandelbaum Gate The Mandelbaum Gate is a former checkpoint between the Israeli and Jordanian sectors of Jerusalem, just north of the western edge of the Old City along the Green Line. The first checkpoint for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan/Israel Mixed Armis ...
on a daily basis to reach the new premises of the Consulate General situated in East Jerusalem – first in the of St Anne's church and later in
Sheikh Jarrah Sheikh Jarrah (, ) is a predominantly Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem, north of the Old City, on the road to Mount Scopus. It received its name from the 13th-century tomb of Hussam al-Din al-Jarrahi, a physician of Saladin, located ...
neighborhood. The severance of diplomatic relations with Jordan from 1956 to 1962 made the situation yet more difficult to manage.
King Hussein of Jordan Hussein bin Talal (14 November 1935 – 7 February 1999) was King of Jordan from 1952 until his death in 1999. As a member of the Hashemite dynasty, the royal family of Jordan since 1921, Hussein was traditionally considered a 40th-generatio ...
questioned the status of French schools and religious congregations in Jordan, and the political and economic privileges to which they were entitled. He tried to end the duality of foreign diplomatic representation by removing laissez-passer for diplomatic missions. Since the 1967
Six-Day War The Six-Day War, also known as the June War, 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states, primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan from 5 to 10June ...
and the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the function of the Consulate General of France has changed. Consulate operations in Jerusalem have been supported but have worsened in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip, notably since Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip and the imposition of the
blockade A blockade is the act of actively preventing a country or region from receiving or sending out food, supplies, weapons, or communications, and sometimes people, by military force. A blockade differs from an embargo or sanction, which are ...
in 2007.
Diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...
s, employees of the Consulate General and French artists have had difficulties in accessing the Gaza Strip, where the French Cultural Center has never ceased its operation. For example, fifteen French diplomats and consular employees were refused entry into the Gaza Strip in July 2009, where they were expected to celebrate the 14th of July.


France's position

The status of the Consulate General of France in Jerusalem is determined by France's position regarding the sovereignty of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories. According to the
United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; , AGNU or AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as its main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ. Currently in its Seventy-ninth session of th ...
Resolution 181 The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine was a proposal by the United Nations to partition Mandatory Palestine at the end of the British Mandate. Drafted by the U.N. Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) on 3 September 1947, the Pl ...
on November 29, 1947, "the city of Jerusalem shall be established as a corpus separatum under a special international regime and shall be administered by the United Nations". France aspired to play a role in the international city of Jerusalem and to uphold its historical rights. Olivier Danino suggests that this concept of corpus separatum aimed to create a special status that would allow the Holy City to escape the control of Israel and the future Palestinian state and would allow France to preserve its historic prevalence in Jerusalem. France has remained committed to the idea of the internationalization of Jerusalem and has not recognized any unilateral measure. France adopted on November 22, the 1967
United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 (S/RES/242) was adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council on November 22, 1967, in the aftermath of the Six-Day War. It was adopted under Chapter VI of the UN Charter. The resolution was spons ...
, calling upon Israel to cancel "all legislative and administrative measures and actions taken (...), including expropriation of land and properties thereon, which tend to change the legal status of Jerusalem” and “to rescind all such measures already taken and to desist forthwith from taking any further action which tend to change the status of Jerusalem”. An expression of France's attachment to
International law International law, also known as public international law and the law of nations, is the set of Rule of law, rules, norms, Customary law, legal customs and standards that State (polity), states and other actors feel an obligation to, and generall ...
can be found in the speech that President
François Mitterrand François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand (26 October 19168 January 1996) was a French politician and statesman who served as President of France from 1981 to 1995, the longest holder of that position in the history of France. As a former First ...
made to the
Knesset The Knesset ( , ) is the Unicameralism, unicameral legislature of Israel. The Knesset passes all laws, elects the President of Israel, president and Prime Minister of Israel, prime minister, approves the Cabinet of Israel, cabinet, and supe ...
in March 1982. While emphasizing Israel's right to exist inside secure and internationally recognized borders, he called for a homeland for
Palestinians Palestinians () are an Arab ethnonational group native to the Levantine region of Palestine. *: "Palestine was part of the first wave of conquest following Muhammad's death in 632 CE; Jerusalem fell to the Caliph Umar in 638. The indigenou ...
, which "for the Palestinians, can at the appropriate time mean a State... Because it is impossible to ask anyone to renounce their identity, nor to speak in their place." During his visit to the Palestinian Territories in October 1996, a visit organized by the Consulate General of France in Jerusalem, President
Jacques Chirac Jacques René Chirac (, ; ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and 1986 to 1988, as well as Mayor of Pari ...
addressed the Palestinian Legislative Council in
Ramallah Ramallah ( , ; ) is a Palestinians, Palestinian city in the central West Bank, that serves as the administrative capital of the State of Palestine. It is situated on the Judaean Mountains, north of Jerusalem, at an average elevation of abov ...
, the first foreign President to do so. On this occasion, he reiterated the position of France on Jerusalem and the conflict: "The whole world has its eyes on Jerusalem, the thrice Holy City. I can understand the passions it inspires. Its holiness, for the Muslims and the Christians, as for the Jews, cannot be dissociated from its existence as a city. That means that in order to retain its unique identity, its plurality must be preserved. The solution for Jerusalem cannot be solely religious, or solely national. It is necessary that freedom of access for the faithful, all the faithful, be guaranteed everywhere. And any idea of sovereignty, from whatever quarter, must be fitted into the framework of the negotiated compromise planned by the Oslo agreements." Calling for a negotiated solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, President
Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa ( ; ; born 28 January 1955) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2007 to 2012. In 2021, he was found guilty of having tried to bribe a judge in 2014 to obtain information ...
declared in a speech delivered to the Knesset in June 2008 that: "Israel’s security, on which France will never compromise, will be truly assured only when we see alongside her an independent, modern, democratic and viable Palestinian State". Until a negotiated settlement is reached, the Consulate General of France will maintain the status of a consulate general and the functions of a quasi-embassy., (1996), p.938


Duties of the Consulate General


Consular duties

The Consulate General of France in Jerusalem's activities include protecting the interests of French citizens temporarily or permanently residing in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, issuing passports, national identity cards and issuing visas to foreigners. The Consulate General of France estimates that the French community of Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip comprised 30,000 people in 2010. Of these, 10,000 were not registered at the Consulate General. The registered nationals at this Consulate general were mostly dual nationals, i.e. French-Israelis or French-Palestinians. The community was relatively young and comprised a large majority of French-Israelis. In 1996, the registered community was estimated at almost 9,000 people. The percentage of French-Israelis reached 95%, a majority of whom were originally from
Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
and
Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...
. They lived in Jerusalem and for some of them in
Israeli settlement Israeli settlements, also called Israeli colonies, are the civilian communities built by Israel throughout the Israeli-occupied territories. They are populated by Israeli citizens, almost exclusively of Israeli Jews, Jewish identity or ethni ...
s in the occupied
Palestinian territories The occupied Palestinian territories, also referred to as the Palestinian territories, consist of the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip—two regions of the former Mandate for Palestine, British Mandate for Palestine ...
. The French-Palestinians were estimated at 1.5%. French members of Christian communities were estimated at 2%, while they constituted the majority of nationals in the early years of the history of the French Consulate in Jerusalem. Regarding the visa application process, the access to the consulate has become difficult for the Palestinians living in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip, as they now need a permit to enter Jerusalem. As a remedy, the Consulate collects visa applications through the French Cultural Center in
Gaza Gaza may refer to: Places Palestine * Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea ** Gaza City, a city in the Gaza Strip ** Gaza Governorate, a governorate in the Gaza Strip Mandatory Palestine * Gaza Sub ...
.


Religious duties

;Liturgical honors Although France's protectorate over the Christians has ceased, France continues to enjoy honorable privileges. Tangible proof of its historic dominance is the liturgical honors rendered to the representatives of France in Jerusalem. Catherine Nicault writes: "In terms of duties, France's representatives, the Ambassador in Constantinople and after 1843, the Consul General was obligated to assist the Latins in their disputes with or appeals to the Ottoman Authorities. (...) But the price paid for these efforts was rewarded since the representatives of France ruled over the Catholic clientele and during religious ceremonies held in the Holy Land, in particular in the Saint Sepulchre, were given carefully codified liturgical honors which made them the most eminent foreign dignitaries in Jerusalem." Since 1843, the Consuls General of France in Jerusalem have been granted liturgical honors. The solemn entry ceremony, codified in a treaty signed by Aristide Briand, Minister of Foreign Affaires and Mgr Luigi Maglione, Apostolic Nuncio on December 4, 1926, has remained the same since then. A press release of the Consulate General of France in Jerusalem describes the latest solemn ceremony as follows:
The procession started at
Jaffa Gate Jaffa Gate (; , "Hebron Gate") is one of the seven main open gates of the Old City of Jerusalem. The name Jaffa Gate is currently used for both the historical Ottoman gate from 1538, and for the wide gap in the city wall adjacent to it to the ...
where the Consul General (Frederic Desagneaux) was hosted by the Franciscans of the Custody who accompanied him to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. There, the Consul General greeted the superiors of the Greek, Franciscan and Armenian convents, guardians of the Holy Place, before going to the shrine where the gospel of the resurrection according to
Saint Mark Mark the Evangelist ( Koinē Greek: Μᾶρκος, romanized: ''Mârkos''), also known as John Mark ( Koinē Greek: Ἰωάννης Μᾶρκος, romanized: ''Iōánnēs Mârkos;'' Aramaic'': ܝܘܚܢܢ, romanized: Yōḥannān'') or Saint Ma ...
was proclaimed. The
Custos {{Wiktionary, custos ''Custos'' is the Latin word for guard. Titles * Custos rotulorum ("keeper of the rolls"), a civic post in parts of the United Kingdom and in Jamaica * Custos (Franciscans), a religious superior or official in the Franc ...
of the Holy Land, Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, made a speech welcoming the Consul General and recalling the prominent role incumbent upon France in the region. After the ceremony, the procession proceeded on foot, through
Via Dolorosa The (Latin for 'Sorrowful Way', often translated 'Way of Suffering'; ; ) is a processional route in the Old City of Jerusalem. It represents the path that Jesus took, forced by the Roman soldiers, on the way to his crucifixion. The winding rou ...
in the Old City, towards St Anne's Church, a national domain entrusted to the
White Fathers The White Fathers (), officially known as the Missionaries of Africa (), and abbreviated MAfr, are a Roman Catholic society of apostolic life of pontifical right (for men). They were founded in 1868 by Charles-Martial Allemand-Lavigerie, who w ...
. After being welcomed by Father
Thomas Maier Thomas Maier is an author, journalist, and television producer. His book '' Masters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the Couple Who Taught America How to Love'' is the basis for the Primetime Emmy-winning Show ...
, superior of the White Fathers, the Consul General reiterated the commitment of France to bear its responsibilities in the region, particularly in Jerusalem, on behalf of the spirit of peace and tolerance. The solemnity ended with the hymn
Te Deum The ( or , ; from its incipit, ) is a Latin Christian hymn traditionally ascribed to a date before AD 500, but perhaps with antecedents that place it much earlier. It is central to the Ambrosian hymnal, which spread throughout the Latin ...
sung by the brothers and sisters of the Abbey of
Abu Ghosh Abu Ghosh (; ) is an Arab-Israeli local council in Israel, located west of Jerusalem on the Tel Aviv–Jerusalem highway. It is situated 610–720 meters above sea level. It takes its current name from the dominant clan inhabiting the town, ...
.
;Protection of religious communities France has lost its protectorate over the Holy Places, but continues to protect religious institutions, in virtue of the agreements of Mytilene (1901) and Constantinople (1913). According to an agreement reached by France and Israel in 1948 (so-called Chauvel-Fisher letters), the rights and privileges entitled to French institutions should be maintained. 52 institutions fall under the jurisdiction of the Consulate General of France in Jerusalem: hospitals, free health centers, hospices, orphanages, research institutes, seminaries, high schools and religious congregations. This comprises 600 monks and nuns, the majority of whom live in the district of Jerusalem. In addition to a legal and administrative support, these institutions benefit from subsidies from the Consulate General. Additionally, the religious communities that receive the protection of the Consulate General administer France's . There are four sites in Jerusalem classified by France as "national domains", that fall under the jurisdiction of the Consulate General and that are administered by French religious communities: Saint Anne Church, Abbey of Abu Ghosh, Church of the Eleona and the Tombs of the Kings.


Political duties

In addition to being the diplomatic representation to the Palestinian Authority, the Consul General is also the representative of France to the
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA, pronounced ) is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA's mandate encompasses Palestinians who fle ...
(UNRWA). Before the creation of the Palestinian Authority in 1994, the consulate had established cooperation with Palestinian NGOs, in the fields of education, culture, economics and finance, and health and humanitarian aid. When
Yasser Arafat Yasser Arafat (4 or 24 August 1929 – 11 November 2004), also popularly known by his Kunya (Arabic), kunya Abu Ammar, was a Palestinian political leader. He was chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from 1969 to 2004, Presid ...
moved to Gaza City in July 1994, the Consulate General established official political ties with the Palestinian administration. France's declared objective is to support "the creation of a viable, independent, democratic Palestinian state living in peace and security alongside Israel." To help achieve this objective, France strongly supports the peace process. France also supports an easing of the Gaza blockade, stating that it will serve the interest of all parties concerned in the conflict. France also supports the establishment of the institutions of the future Palestinian State, in line with the spirit of the Paris International Donor's Conference, that France had initiated to provide financial support for the construction of the future state of Palestine. France contributes significantly to financially support the budget of the Palestinian Authority. According to a press release from the Consulate General: "The Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority Salam Fayyad and the Consul General of France in Jerusalem Frederic Desagneaux signed on June 21, 2010 an agreement on a financial support of 23 million Euros by the French government to the budget of the Palestinian Authority for the year 2010." According to the French-Palestinian framework partnership document signed in Paris in December 2009, France will allocate 68 million Euros annually over a period of three years. French aid to the Palestinian Territories (200 million Euros over three years) will be devoted to support the water sector, urban infrastructure, municipal development and the private and health sectors.


France's cooperation in the Palestinian territories

The Consulate General has a significant policy of cooperation in the Palestinian Territories in multiple fields: education, culture, economy and finance, health and humanitarian aid. The Consulate General has developed a large network of cultural centers in Jerusalem and in the Palestinian Territories. In addition to the French Cultural Center established in West Jerusalem in the early 20th century, there are now four other cultural centers in East Jerusalem, Ramallah, Nablus and Gaza. They promote cultural exchange through lectures, art exhibition and musical events. They also offer language teaching programs. The volume of cooperation in the development sector is significant. In 2005, the amount of development aid reached 400,000 Euros. It was multiplied by 4 between 2005 and 2008. The French Development Agency coordinates the implementation of financial aid. Since 2002, the French Development Agency has allocated 11 million Euros to support NGOs in Palestine.


Chronological list of Consuls and Consuls Generals in Jerusalem

;Consuls Generals * Hervé Magro 2013–Present * Frédéric Desagneaux 2009–2013 * Alain Remy 2005–2009 * Régis Koetschet 2002–2005 * Denis Pietton 1999–2002 * Stanislas de Laboulaye 1996–1999 * Jean de Gliniasty 1991–1995 * Gilles d’Humières 1988–1991 * Jean–Claude Cousseran 1986–1988 * Jean Guéguinou 1982–1986 * Bernard Lopinot 1978–1982 * Pierre Bitard 1975–1978 * Paul Henry 1970–1975 * Christian Fouache d’Halloy 1966–1970 * Lucien Lemoine 1963–1966 * Christian Marcotte de Sainte-Marie 1960–1963 * André Favereau 1958–1959 * Marcel Laforge 1955–1957 * Bernard Rochereau de La Sablière 1952–1954 * René Neuville 1946–1952 Delegation of Free France from 1941 to 1946 * Guy du Chaylard 1942–1946 * Henri Zimmermann 1941–1942 * Amédée Outrey 1937–1940 * Jacques d’Aumale 1928–1937 * Alphonse Doire 1926–1928 * Gaston Maugras 1924–1925 * Louis Rais 1919–1924 ''World War I'' * George Gueyraud 1908–1914 * George Outrey 1905–1908 * Auguste Boppe 1902–1904 * Honoré Daumas 1902 * Ernest Auzépy 1898–1901 * Charles Ledoulx 1893–1898 In 1893 The consulate was elevated to the status of Consulate General. ;Consuls * Charles Ledoulx 1885–1893 * Lucien Monge 1885 * Charles Destrees 1883–1885 * Adrien Langlais 1881–1883 * Salvator Patrimonio 1873–1881 * Ernest Crampon 1871–1873 * Joseph Sienkiewicz, Manager 1 October 1868 To January 31, 1872. * Edmond De Barrere 1855–1871 *
Paul-Émile Botta Paul-Émile Botta (6 December 1802 – 29 March 1870) was an Italian-born French scientist who served as Consul in Mosul (then in the Ottoman Empire, now in Iraq) from 1842, and who discovered the ruins of the ancient Assyrian capital of Dur-Shar ...
1848–1855 * Joseph Helouis–Jorelle * Edmond Barrère, Manager From 1 December 1844 To December 15, 1845 * Gabriel de Lantivy 1843–1844 From 1776 To 1790, Jerusalem comes under the authority of the "Consul General For Syria And Palestine", In Residence at Seyda. * Jean de Blacas 1713–1714 * Sébastien de Brémond 1699–1700 From 1694 To 1699, Jerusalem comes under the authority of the "Consul for Palestine, Galilee, Judea And Samaria", In Residence In Syria * Jean Lempereur 1621–1625


References


External links


Consulat Général de France à Jérusalem

Consulate General of France in Jerusalem
{{coord, 31.7750, N, 35.2242, E, source:wikidata, display=title
Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
France–Palestine relations France–Israel relations France–Ottoman Empire relations 1623 establishments in the Ottoman Empire 1623 establishments in France