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Gerard Araud stands in front of a photo of David Ben-Gurion and Charles DeGaulle
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| By israelinsider staff December 10, 2004 |
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France's ambassador said Israelis were afflicted by what he called an "anti-French neurosis." Speaking in English on Israel Radio Thursday, Gerard Araud complained that France was unfairly singled out by Israelis for criticism, accused Israeli media of exaggerating French anti-Semitism, and fumed about television comedians making fun of the French.
"There is a sort of anti-French neurosis in this country," the diplomat said. "The Israelis are convinced the French are anti-Israel," he went on, alleging that "the Israelis are building a case against France."
"I think there is a neurosis that causes anti-Frenchism," Araud elaborated. "This anti-French neurosis has led to France being so hated in Israel. The relationship between the two countries is very difficult. You simply love to hate us."
The Israeli "anti-French neurosis," Araud concluded, began with the crisis in relations that developed during the Six-Day War. "Until 1967 the relationship was close and it was a love story," he said. "In 1967 Israel felt betrayed by the French embargo [on arms sales to Israel], and since that trauma, Israel has continued to build the case against France. It is possible to find new reasons for the hatred, but in essence we are talking about the same pathology."
Araud said anti-Semitism in France is no different from that in other countries in Europe, but complained that "Israelis harass us, because we are an easier target."
The deputy director general of the Foreign Ministry's European desk, Ran Curiel, told the ambassador that his comments were "unacceptable, outside of diplomatic norms, and do not contribute to the efforts of France and Israel to improve their relationship."
Last July, responding to a spate of attacks on Jews, synagogues, and Jewish cemeteries, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's called on French Jews to emigrate to Israel to flee what he called "the wildest anti-Semitism."
Although efforts were made by both sides to ease tensions, including an effusive and elaborate welcome for Israeli President Moshe Katzav in Paris, anti-French sentiment in Israel rose again after France officially lauded Yasser Arafat after his Nov. 11 death in a Paris hospital.
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."
Yatzpan, famous for his parodic impersonations, responded: "The patrons of the Arab states always know everything. They preach morality to everyone, perhaps because they know French and English, so it sounds better. Definitely not -- it sounds like merde!"
Nissim Zvili, Israel's envoy to Paris, agreed the French had developed a biased picture of Israel in recent years, but said Araud was partially correct about a psychological problem in binational relations: "He's close to being right. There is over-sensitivity in Israel toward French behavior and in France toward Israel behavior."
Araud has a history of putting his pieds in his bouche. Soon after his appointment in September 2003, he was overhead by a Yediot Aharonot reporter during a cocktail party in Paris claiming that the Jewish state was "paranoid" and characterizing Ariel Sharon repeatedly with the word "voyou" a term which can mean "punk, thug, hooligan, criminal, crook, lout." Araud denied the accusations at the time.
A similar cycle of statement-and-denial took place this week in an interview the newly appointed Jerusalem Post editor in chief conducted with Araud. After the Post published the Ambassador's remarks that he believed that "Israel has tried to show the utmost restraint" in its handling of Palestinian violence since September 2000, French embassy spokespeople first claimed the conversation was confidential and, then, after admitting that it was on the record, said the Ambassador's remarks had been "taken out of context," then compounded the dishonesty by questioning the veracity of the quoted remarks describing them as having been "allegedly uttered."
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