Israel considering punitive steps against France

After France joined UK-led sanctions regime against Israeli towns in Judea and Samaria, Jerusalem mulls retaliatory steps against France.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Israel is considering retaliatory measures against France and other countries that joined a coordinated push to restrict trade with Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, following a sharp Israeli response to similar measures announced by Britain.

Israeli officials are examining whether to apply measures similar to those imposed on the United Kingdom, Kan News reported.

The options under consideration could include curtailing diplomatic activity and excluding representatives of participating countries from international operations based in Israel.

No final decision on measures against France has yet been announced.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar signaled Tuesday that Israel’s response would not necessarily be limited to Britain.

“Against other countries as well, we will take response measures at our discretion,” Sa’ar said. “Steps against Israel will not remain without a response.”

The deliberations come after France joined Britain, Canada and nine other countries in announcing plans to impose national restrictions, or support European restrictions, on trade in goods produced in Israeli towns in Judea and Samaria.

France has gone further than some of the participating countries, saying it intends to implement a national ban.

“France is going to put an end to its commerce with Israeli settlements in Palestine,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Tuesday.

Paris said details and timing of the measure still need to be worked out.

French officials argued that the policy is aimed specifically at settlements rather than at Israel as a whole, and cited both rising violence in Judea and Samaria and Israel’s decision to issue tenders for construction in the E1 area east of Jerusalem.

In a joint statement, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Britain accused Israel of undermining prospects for a two-state solution and described the E1 tender as “unacceptable.” The governments said they intended to impose or consider restrictions under their respective national procedures.

Israel responded first and most aggressively against Britain, which took the lead in organizing the initiative and announced the most extensive package of measures.

Sa’ar ordered the British Consulate in eastern Jerusalem closed within 30 days and revoked the diplomatic accreditation of its personnel. British representatives were also ordered out of the US-led Gaza coordination center in Kiryat Gat, while a British program involved in training Palestinian Authority security forces was terminated.

Israel also barred 12 British politicians and other individuals from entering the country.

British military and diplomatic personnel stationed at the Kiryat Gat center were told to remove their equipment and leave immediately, according to Israeli reports.

Israeli officials are now considering whether elements of that response could be extended to France and other governments participating in the sanctions initiative.

France operates a consulate in Jerusalem that handles relations with the Palestinians, while French personnel also participate in international diplomatic and security efforts in the region.

Sa’ar accused the countries involved of attempting to pressure Israel over its policies in Judea and Samaria and rejected the premise that Jewish communities there should be subjected to economic boycotts.

“The Jewish people have a right to live throughout the Land of Israel no less than the British in Britain or the French in France,” he said.

The confrontation centers in large part on E1, where Israel recently published tenders as part of plans for more than 3,400 housing units between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim. European governments have argued that construction there would severely damage the territorial viability of a future Palestinian state.