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French Foreign Ministry Summons Israel’s Ambassador Following Arrest of Consulate Staffers.

Paris: The French Foreign Ministry has summoned Israel's ambassador in response to last week's temporary arrests of some of its consulate staffers in Jerusalem, as reported by local media on Monday. Ambassador Joshua Zarka is scheduled to meet with the ministry on Tuesday following the November 7 detention of two staff members from France's Consulate General in Jerusalem. According to Anadolu Agency, the staffers were released after intervention from French Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, with the ministry labeling the arrests as 'unacceptable.' The ministry highlighted that the arrests occurred despite the staffers' diplomatic status. During his visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories last week, Minister Barrot was slated to visit Eleona, a French national estate. However, the ministry's statement noted that Israeli security forces "armed without authorization" had entered the site, leading Barrot to decide against visiting the estate under those circumstances.