J-10
12-09-2004, 07:31 PM
Envoy Complains of 'Anti-French Neurosis' in Israel
Thu Dec 9,12:11 PM ET
By Matt Spetalnick
JERUSALEM (*******) - France's ambassador to Israel criticized Israelis on Thursday for what he called "anti-French neurosis," drawing a rebuke from the Jewish state and touching off a new diplomatic row between the two countries.
Ambassador Gerard Araud told Israel Radio that France was often singled out by Israelis for unfair attacks, accused the Israeli media of exaggerating French anti-Semitism and even complained about a popular comedian poking fun at the French.
"There is a sort of anti-French neurosis in this country," he said. "The Israelis are convinced the French are anti-Israel ... The Israelis are building a case against France."
Israel's Foreign Ministry responded by saying Araud's remarks were "unacceptable, deviated from diplomatic decorum and do not contribute to efforts to improve bilateral relations."
The row followed attempts to ease tensions created by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's call in July for French Jews to emigrate to Israel to escape what he termed "the wildest anti-Semitism."
Sharon sought to quell French anger by insisting he was not trying to woo French Jews any more than Jews elsewhere, and he also praised French efforts to combat anti-Semitism.
But anti-French sentiment in Israel spiked again after France heaped praise on Yasser Arafat -- admired by his people as a nationalist symbol but reviled by many Israelis as a terrorist -- after his Nov. 11 death in a Paris hospital.
Israel has often accused France and the European Union of pro-Palestinian bias. Many Israelis believe the Europeans' motive is to curry favor with Arab oil-producing states.
Araud protested that popular Israeli television comedian Eli Yatzpan "chooses France as his usual target and is always making jokes at the expense of the French."
Nissim Zvili, Israel's envoy to Paris, countered saying the French had developed a biased picture of Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza during the past four years of violence.
But departing from blanket criticism of Araud, Zvili said: "He's close to being right. There is over-sensitivity in Israel toward French behavior and in France toward Israel behavior."
He traced rocky relations to the 1967 Arab-Israeli war that led France, hitherto Israel's chief arms supplier, to impose an arms embargo that was maintained until the 1980s.
From (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20041209/wl_nm/israel_france_dc_1)
Thu Dec 9,12:11 PM ET
By Matt Spetalnick
JERUSALEM (*******) - France's ambassador to Israel criticized Israelis on Thursday for what he called "anti-French neurosis," drawing a rebuke from the Jewish state and touching off a new diplomatic row between the two countries.
Ambassador Gerard Araud told Israel Radio that France was often singled out by Israelis for unfair attacks, accused the Israeli media of exaggerating French anti-Semitism and even complained about a popular comedian poking fun at the French.
"There is a sort of anti-French neurosis in this country," he said. "The Israelis are convinced the French are anti-Israel ... The Israelis are building a case against France."
Israel's Foreign Ministry responded by saying Araud's remarks were "unacceptable, deviated from diplomatic decorum and do not contribute to efforts to improve bilateral relations."
The row followed attempts to ease tensions created by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's call in July for French Jews to emigrate to Israel to escape what he termed "the wildest anti-Semitism."
Sharon sought to quell French anger by insisting he was not trying to woo French Jews any more than Jews elsewhere, and he also praised French efforts to combat anti-Semitism.
But anti-French sentiment in Israel spiked again after France heaped praise on Yasser Arafat -- admired by his people as a nationalist symbol but reviled by many Israelis as a terrorist -- after his Nov. 11 death in a Paris hospital.
Israel has often accused France and the European Union of pro-Palestinian bias. Many Israelis believe the Europeans' motive is to curry favor with Arab oil-producing states.
Araud protested that popular Israeli television comedian Eli Yatzpan "chooses France as his usual target and is always making jokes at the expense of the French."
Nissim Zvili, Israel's envoy to Paris, countered saying the French had developed a biased picture of Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza during the past four years of violence.
But departing from blanket criticism of Araud, Zvili said: "He's close to being right. There is over-sensitivity in Israel toward French behavior and in France toward Israel behavior."
He traced rocky relations to the 1967 Arab-Israeli war that led France, hitherto Israel's chief arms supplier, to impose an arms embargo that was maintained until the 1980s.
From (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20041209/wl_nm/israel_france_dc_1)