A French head of state haranguing the security forces of the State of Israel near the Sainte-Anne church in Jerusalem. For the Israeli daily newspaper Hamodia, the incident has "An air of deja vu". Difficult, indeed, not to make the connection between the brilliance of voice of Emmanuel Macron, Wednesday, January 22, and that of Jacques Chirac, twenty-four years earlier, on Via Dolorosa then around this same building considered a French territory since 1856, date on which the Ottomans had given it to Paris for its help during the Crimean War (1853-1856).
"Same places, even authoritarian and superior tone, same calculated outburst in front of the cameras", decline, acerbic, the site LPH info. "Apparently, Sainte-Anne is a fairly nerve center for French presidents, notes, with a touch of irony, the blogger Dexter Van Zile in an open letter addressed to Mr. Macron and published by The Times of Israel. I hope the Israelis will reserve judgment on the confrontation. "
"Given that French sovereignty over Sainte-Anne dates back to the 1800s, it is likely that the Israelis will have sympathy for you. They know the importance of protecting sovereignty. If there is a group of people who know the dangers of losing sovereignty even better than the French, it is the Israelis. "
"Chiraquian moment"
In 1996, "Jacques Chirac's crush seemed spontaneous to the spectators", recalls the site Ynetnews. However, the French "Intended to provoke a drama in Israel to please Arab public opinion". A paying strategy: the ex-president was one of the most popular Western personalities in the Arab world, underlines East-Day.
Did Emmanuel Macron knowingly cause this incident "To seduce the Arab populations and part of the French electorate" ? Perhaps, admits Anthony Samrani in the Lebanese newspaper. "Maybe he even forced his accent in English to make the sound memory stick to the visual. Maybe, finally, that he absolutely wanted this moment, this Chiraquian moment that has been remembered for a long time. "
"The visit to Sainte-Anne was a symbolic stop highlighting the historic influence of France in the region, where Paris still considers itself an important player", analyzes for its part the Jerusalem Post. With Jacques Chirac, reminds East-Day, France has often had the will to "Play the mediators between the different regional powers, to offer an alternative way to that of Washington to try to resolve the conflicts".
A posture of strength that Mr. Macron could have tried to reaffirm. In fact, the Elysée made it clear to the daily Thursday Haaretz that, contrary to a police statement in many Hebrew state media, there has been no"Apology" on his part after the incident with the security guards: “Sainte-Anne is a French national domain in Jerusalem. It is France’s role in this city to protect these places. "
"Unusual" initiative
The essence of Mr. Macron's visit to the old town is not this "Altercation" for the Jerusalem Post, but his passage to the Wailing Wall, the "The most politically sensitive site in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict". He is the first French leader to go there in over twenty years. "Visits by heads of state are rare because they are seen as a tacit recognition of Israeli sovereignty at the site", details the newspaper.
An initiative that remains "Unusual" for a western official, especially as the daily recalls, the head of state was shown "Very critical" with regard to Israeli policy in East Jerusalem and military control of the West Bank.
The Elysée tenant was also received as part of his visit by the director of the Al-Aqsa mosque on the Esplanade des Mosques, passing through the holy places of the three monotheistic religions.
So summarizes L'Orient-Le Jour, "beyond communication" of the Sainte-Anne church, the comparison between Jacques Chirac and Emmanuel Macron on the "Arab cause" is limited. And everyday wondering:
" The "at the same time”Macronien which is translated, the same day, by a declaration associating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism, taking up the rhetoric of the Israeli power of this fact, then by a sequence in the old city which is intended to conquer the Palestinian hearts can it claim to be of the Chiraquian heritage? "
