Israeli authorities on Tuesday refused to allow more than a dozen French diplomats entry into the Gaza Strip, where they planned to take part in a Bastille Day celebration.
| You have to go to Gaza to celebrate Bastille Day? What's wrong with Paris? |
A senior security source said the 15 diplomats and East Jerusalem consulate employees were denied entry as part of an Israeli protest over the fact that Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit is still captive in the Gaza Strip without basic rights. "They [the diplomats] should not be allowed to celebrate a holiday marking freedom and human rights for the people of Gaza while Gilad Shalit remains in captivity," said the source.
| Was it Gilad Shalit who holds dual citizenship -- Israel and France? I recall that one of the kidnapped Israeli soldiers does. |
Israel objected to France's plan to hold a Bastille Day celebration in Gaza particularly in light of the fact that Shalit, who was abducted by Hamas militants in a 2006 cross-border raid, has dual French-Israeli citizenship.
| It seems the answer to my question is yes. |
During a Bastille Day celebration at the French embassy in Jaffa, Ambassador Jean Michel Casa declared that Shalit must immediately be freed, a sentiment shared by President Nicolas Sarkozy.
The French Consulate in East Jerusalem serves as liaison with the West Bank and has a small delegation in the Gaza Strip, as well. Israel officially denied the consulate's request for 15 entry visas - made earlier Tuesday - on the grounds that such requests must be submitted 48 hours in advance.
A Foreign Ministry source said that French Consulate must have been well aware that the diplomats would not be granted the permits, accusing them of "trying to be provocative" and blame Israel for ruining the French holiday. "The French consulate employees are known to be provocative and every week it's a different story with them," said the source.
| He's a diplomat, so he didn't describe them as "antisemitic French pigs." |
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