French President Emmanuel Macron apologized on Wednesday for his outburst of rage in Jerusalem's Old City while visiting a basilica.
"Go outside," Macron demanded in English in a melee with Israeli security men on Wednesday, demanding they leave a Jerusalem basilica that he visited, ahead of the Fifth World Holocaust Forum that will take place on Thursday.
The French tricolor has flown over the Church of St. Anne in Jerusalem's walled Old City since it was gifted by the Ottomans to French Emperor Napoleon III in 1856.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
France views it as a provocation when Israeli police enter the church's sandstone complex, in a part of Jerusalem annexed by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War.
Wednesday's incident was a case of deja vu all over again. In 1996, former President Jacques Chirac lost patience with Israeli security agents at the same church, telling one of them that his treatment was a "provocation" and threatening to get back on his plane.
Chirac refused to enter St. Anne until Israeli security left the site.
Video showed Macron, jostled in the center of a crowded circle between his own protective detail and Israeli security personnel, including several paramilitary policemen in uniform, under an archway leading into the church. He said that under the "centuries-old rules," Israeli officials may not accompany dignitaries into the building.
Coup de colère de #Macron contre la police israélienne à Jérusalem. Dans les pas de Chirac en 1996 pic.twitter.com/DKP5ICThTK
— Ava Djamshidi (@AvaDjamshidi) January 22, 2020
Macron then stopped the shoving and shouted at the Israeli security guards in English: "I don't like what you did in front of me."
Lowering his voice, he then said: "Go outside. I'm sorry, you know the rules. Nobody has to provoke nobody."
Asked about the incident, an Israeli police spokesman declined comment. An Israeli government spokesman did not immediately provide comment on behalf of the Shin Bet security agency, which also helps guard foreign dignitaries.
Macron later apologized and said that he appreciated the work the protection officers were carrying out.
French diplomats had cautioned that they want to leave little room for mishaps on Macron's trip. Earlier on Wednesday, a separate squabble ensued when Israeli police tried to enter St. Anne ahead of Macron's visit.
Macron is one of dozens of world leaders due to attend Thursday's World Holocaust Forum at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial center in Jerusalem, which will commemorate the 75-year anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp.
The 42-year-old head of state had seen his visit to St. Anne as a symbolic stop underscoring Paris' historical influence in the region.
Macron is the only foreign leader who will also visit the Palestinian Authority during his visit. His arrival in Ramallah, where he will likely meet PA President Mahmoud Abbas, has led to criticism from Israel.
