Chirac Tells Sharon He’s Not Welcome in France

July 19, 2004

Comments

Chirac tells Sharon he is not welcome in France: TV

French President Jacques Chirac informed Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon he is not welcome in Paris after he urged all French Jews to leave the country immediately, Israeli television reported.

Chirac had written that “after some weeks of contacts concerning such a visit it turns out that it is impossible … and you are not welcome following your comments,” according to Channel 2 television.

An Israeli foreign ministry government spokesman refused to comment on “confidential messages.”

Sharon sparked anger in Paris with a speech on Sunday in which he urged all French Jews to move immediately to Israel in order to escape what he called the “spread of the wildest anti-Semitism”.

The French foreign office has described Sharon’s comments as “unacceptable.”

One would think it obvious that someone making the statement that all Jews should leave France would be rather disinclined to visit France if he were Jewish, no?

5 responses to “Chirac Tells Sharon He’s Not Welcome in France”

BigFire

July 19, 2004 at 11:07 pm

This actually bolster Sharon’s claim that France is inhospital to Jew, and any Jew with sense of self preservation should leave, ASAP.

And France’s answer to terrorism is the protection of their Nuclear Umbrella (Yep, their first target will be probably Israel, after France converts to Islam).
Sherri

July 20, 2004 at 2:58 am

4 French aid workers, Palestinian officials seized in Gaza (I’m not sure how related this is to your story, but it seems sort of related to me.)
Joseph Marshall

July 20, 2004 at 8:19 am

I wonder why on earth “contacts” were in process between the two countries for Sharon to visit under the circumstances.

It seems a little ludicrous that the Israeli government would expect the usual rotomontade of photo-ops, joint speeches of fundamental diplomatic goodwill despite disagreements, and handshaking if Sharon was going to make a comment like that.

Lo, how the mighty art fallen! France, after all, got them started on nuclear bomb making half a century ago.
Paul

July 20, 2004 at 9:00 am

It befuddles me how Bush gets called arrogant but Chirac gets called a statesman.

Is there a more arrogant leader than Chirac?
Joseph Marshall

July 20, 2004 at 9:05 pm

Well, Paul, if you read the story carefully, Chirac’s comments were made privately, through diplomatic channels with no public fanfare–and it was apparently an Israeli source which leaked them.

Sharon’s complement to French society was embarrasingly public. So I think the answer to your question is, “Yes, Arial Sharon.”