Israel blames French, EU diplomats for West Bank aid scuffle

Israel has accused a French diplomat of hitting a police officer and claims European diplomats provoked a scuffle in which soldiers allegedly threw the French diplomat to the ground and seized aid intended for Palestinian villagers. Video of the incident has been posted on YouTube.

Reuters/Abed Omar Qusini

Both France and the European Union have demanded an explanation of Friday's incident during which Israeli troops seized a truck loaded with tents and supplies for Bedouin villagers whose homes had been destroyed on Monday.

European sources claimed that French diplomat Marion Fesneau-Castaing was thrown to the ground and other Europeans were manhandled, as were villagers.

Israel on Sunday responded by branding the Europeans "provocateurs" and claiming that Fesneau-Castaing lay down of her own accord as an act of "passive resistance".

"Diplomats are sent by their governments to be a bridge and not act as provocateurs," the foreign ministry said in a statement. "The European diplomats and their governments owe an explanation of this blatant violation of diplomatic codes of conduct."

Israel's response will "reflect the seriousness of these violations", it said.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Paul Hirschson told the AFP news agency that Fesneau-Castaing was not assaulted and became violent herself.

"She was removed from the vehicle... then she dropped herself onto the ground... nobody threw her on the floor," he said. "There was violence from her side when she stood up and she walked over and she punched the officer in the face."

Video posted on the Jersualem Post newspaper's website shows a woman identified as Fesneau-Castaing apparently hitting a helmeted border police officer on the chin.

The EU on Saturday demanded an explanation for Israel's seizure of the tents and expressed concern over the incident.

The Israeli statement slammed "the one-sided announcement" from Brussels.

"This announcement ignores the European diplomats' blunt violation of the law, their disregard for a ruling of the Israeli court and their unnecessary provocation under the alleged pretext of humanitarian aid," it said.

Senior Paletine Liberation Organisation official Hanane Ashrawi urged France to hold Israel to account.

"I condemn in the strongest terms the brutal attack on your representative's person and dignity by the Israeli occupation forces," she wrote in a letter to France's consul-general in Jerusalem, Hervé Magro.

"This attack highlights the culture of impunity that Israel has enjoyed, acting as a state above the law, violating once again all international norms and the requirement of propriety."