France–Israel relations
Encyclopedia
France–Israel relations refers to the bilateral
foreign relations
between France
and Israel
. France has an embassy in Tel Aviv
and a consulate-general in Jerusalem
. Israel has an embassy in Paris
and a consulate-general in Marseille
.
After the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948 and in the early 1950s, France and Israel maintained close political and military ties as common enemies of Pan-Arab
nationalism. France was Israel's main weapons supplier until its withdrawal from Algeria in 1966 removed most common interest from the relationship, and France became increasingly critical of Israel, especially after the Six-Day War
in June 1967, when Charles de Gaulle
's government imposed an arms embargo on the region, mostly affecting Israel.
Under François Mitterrand
in the early 1980s, French–Israeli relations improved greatly. Mitterrand was the first French president to visit Israel while in office. The relations declined after Jacques Chirac
was elected to be president in 1995, especially after he stood steadfastly behind former Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat
, during the first stages of the Second Intifada. The election of French President Nicolas Sarkozy
in May 2007 has led to a significant warming in ties between the countries, with France’s new leader stating that he would refuse to greet any world leader who does not recognize Israel's right to exist.
would assist him in the founding of a Jewish state. On 12 January 1949 France recognized the existence of Israel and supported the decision for Israel to join the United Nations. In 1953 France announced that it intended to sell French weapons to Israel.
In June 1956 president of Egypt Gamal Abdel Nasser
's actions brought about a closer relationship between Israel and France. Israel was afraid of an Egyptian attack and France saw Nasser as a threat because Nasser supported the anti French insurgency in Algeria
. France sent Israel airplanes and tanks and Israel began to prepare for a war with Egypt
. In July 1956 Nasser took control of the Suez Canal
and then France, Britain and Israel planned a joint operation to take the Suez Canal back under their control. In October the Sinai war broke out and resulted in a complete victory for the Anglo-Israeli-French coalition. However, international pressure led by the U.S. forced the three to return full control of Sinai to the Egyptians. Despite the setbacks of the war, relations between Israel and France grew stronger.
During the late 1950s France supplied Israel with the Mirage
- Israel's most advanced aircraft to date and their first serious combat aircraft. During the 1970s Israel used this Mirage model to develop their own fighter aircraft: the Kfir
.
In October 1957 an agreement was signed between France and Israel about the construction of the nuclear power plant in Israel which was completed in 1963. Current Israeli President Shimon Peres
was the politician who brokered the deal.
In 1960 Ben Gurion arrived in France for Israel's first official visit.
Until the 6 Day War France was the main supplier of Israel's weapons. In 1967 Charles de Gaulle
made a one-sided disconnection with Israel. The reason was that de Gaulle supported the Arab neighbors of Israel (Egypt, Syria and Jordan) and as a result made an arms embargo on Israel.
In 1969 de Gaulle retired from presidency of France and Israel hoped that new president Georges Pompidou
would bring about better relations between Israel and France but Pompidou continued the weapons embargo. This was one of the weakest moments in Israeli French relations.
did not improve relations just like his predecessor and he supported the Palestinian cause and even met with Yasser Arafat
and supported the entrance of the PLO to the United Nations.
In 1981 François Mitterrand
was elected 21st President of the French Republic
. Mitterrand was the first left-wing head of state since 1957 and was considered a friend of the Jewish people and a lover of the Bible
. In 1982 he visited Israel and in doing so was the first French president to visit Israel and even spoke in the Israeli parliament the Knesset
. During this time Israel and France worked to improve the relations between them but in June 1982 relations worsened because of the First Lebanon War.
In 1988 Mitterrand won a second term and in 1990 Mitterrand it was discovered that he was in positive relations with the Vishi Government in occupied France and wasn’t willing to accept Frances responsibility in the treatment and eventual deportation of Jews during the Second World War. from this point on he was no longer thought of as a friend of the Jewish people.
In 1995 Jacques Chirac
was elected and during his time in office he did recognize Frances responsibility during World War II. He also took a more active part in the relations between Israel and the Palestinian authority. Chirac financially supported Arafat and put pressure on Israel to go back to the borders of 1967.
. This was regarded by Israel as lack of consideration for its security given Iraqs support of the Palestinian cause despite the Al-Aqsa Intifada
which went on until the disengagement.
After Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
announced Israel's unilateral disengagement plan
in 2004 relations again began to escalate. Sharon went to Paris and was accepted with respect and honor and France demanded of the Hamas
to recognize Israel and cease their terror attacks. An Israeli French committee was created to increase cooperation. The committee had two goals. The first was the improve Israel's public image in France. The second was to improve Israeli French relations on all levels.
In 2007 Nicolas Sarkozy
was elected president of France. He is considered a supporter of Israel and he has proclaimed that he will not compromise on the security of Israel. He was thought to be that because of his tough immigration policies on immigration from Islamic countries. In August 2008 Nicolas Sarkozy used his first major foreign policy speech to signal a shift from his predecessor, Jacques Chirac, casting himself as a "friend of Israel". The Israeli public viewed Chirac as hostile towards Israel, particularly when Chirac stood steadfastly behind former Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, especially during the first stages of the second Intifada.
On February 13, 2008, Sarkozy spoke at the annual dinner of the French Jewish CRIF
(Conseil Représentatif des Institutions juives de France). The address was seen as a sign of newfound warmth between France's Élysée Palace and French Jewry, whose place in French society has been shaken in recent years following a surge in anti-Semitic attacks. "Israel can count on a new dynamic to its relationship with the European Union", said Sarkozy. "France will never compromise on Israel's security."
Israel has welcomed Sarkozys tough stance against the Iran
-backed Hamas and Iran-backed Hezbollah. During the 2006 Lebanon War, France played a key role in Europe's efforts to get a quick ceasefire. Later, President Sarkozy has positioned himself as a possible peace intermediary between Israel and the Arab world, inviting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
and Syrian President Bashar al Assad to attend a Middle East conference in Paris on July 13, 2008.
On 26 June 2009 France and the rest of the G8
called on Israel to halt Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territories as a key step toward a renewed peace drive.
France was extremely supportive of Israel during Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's statement that the Holocaust was "a myth" on his address at the united Nation September 2009. France, along with the United States, Britain, and Germany all issued statements slamming Ahmadinejad's outburst dismissing the killing of some six million Jews
of occupied Europe by the Nazis during World War II.
On 30 June 2009, French President Nicolas Sarkozy
urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
to dismiss Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman from his post, saying "You have to get rid of that man. You need to remove him from this position".
.
France is the second-leading tourist destination for Israelis, after the United States. At the same time the number of French people visiting Israel has grown considerably over the last few years.
. In honor of Israel's 60th anniversary of its independence, Israel was the official guest at the annual Book Fair in Paris in March 2008.
France's cultural, technological and scientific cooperation with Israel is based on bilateral agreements that date back to 1959. the origin of this project is based on the existence of the high number of native French speakers in Israel (approximately 600,000 – 10 percent of the population) and considerable resources are devoted to this cooperation: $3.5M (€2.3M in 2007).
In 2009 Nissan unveiled its first all electric car, the Leaf
. The Japanese maker of the car is 44-percent owned by France's Renault
. Israel is among the countries set to have charging stations for this initiative.
Since 2004, six network research programs have been launched in medical genetics
, mathematics
, medical and biological imaging
, as well as bioinformatics
, with nearly 100 researchers involved in each. New programs are expected to be introduced in the areas of genomics
, cancer research
, neuroscience
, astrophysics
and robotics
.
Bilateralism
Bilateralism consists of the political, economic, or cultural relations between two sovereign states. For example, free trade agreements signed by two states are examples of bilateral treaties. It is in contrast to unilateralism or multilateralism, which refers to the conduct of diplomacy by a...
foreign relations
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
between France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. France has an embassy in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
and a consulate-general in Jerusalem
Consulate General of France in Jerusalem
The Consulate General of France in Jerusalem began its tumultuous history in the early 17th century. In 1535, the date of the first Capitulation between France and the Ottoman empire, France was granted the right to appoint consuls in the cities of the Empire...
. Israel has an embassy in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and a consulate-general in Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
.
After the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948 and in the early 1950s, France and Israel maintained close political and military ties as common enemies of Pan-Arab
Pan-Arabism
Pan-Arabism is an ideology espousing the unification--or, sometimes, close cooperation and solidarity against perceived enemies of the Arabs--of the countries of the Arab world, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Arabian Sea. It is closely connected to Arab nationalism, which asserts that the Arabs...
nationalism. France was Israel's main weapons supplier until its withdrawal from Algeria in 1966 removed most common interest from the relationship, and France became increasingly critical of Israel, especially after the Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
in June 1967, when Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
's government imposed an arms embargo on the region, mostly affecting Israel.
Under François Mitterrand
François Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
in the early 1980s, French–Israeli relations improved greatly. Mitterrand was the first French president to visit Israel while in office. The relations declined after Jacques Chirac
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
was elected to be president in 1995, especially after he stood steadfastly behind former Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat
Mohammed Yasser Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini , popularly known as Yasser Arafat or by his kunya Abu Ammar , was a Palestinian leader and a Laureate of the Nobel Prize. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization , President of the Palestinian National Authority...
, during the first stages of the Second Intifada. The election of French President Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
in May 2007 has led to a significant warming in ties between the countries, with France’s new leader stating that he would refuse to greet any world leader who does not recognize Israel's right to exist.
History
1940s–1960s
The first connection between the Zionist Movement and France was during World War II between the years 1940–1944 when France was under German occupation. After France's liberation by allied forces, David Ben Gurion was confident that Charles de GaulleCharles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
would assist him in the founding of a Jewish state. On 12 January 1949 France recognized the existence of Israel and supported the decision for Israel to join the United Nations. In 1953 France announced that it intended to sell French weapons to Israel.
In June 1956 president of Egypt Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
's actions brought about a closer relationship between Israel and France. Israel was afraid of an Egyptian attack and France saw Nasser as a threat because Nasser supported the anti French insurgency in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
. France sent Israel airplanes and tanks and Israel began to prepare for a war with Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. In July 1956 Nasser took control of the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
and then France, Britain and Israel planned a joint operation to take the Suez Canal back under their control. In October the Sinai war broke out and resulted in a complete victory for the Anglo-Israeli-French coalition. However, international pressure led by the U.S. forced the three to return full control of Sinai to the Egyptians. Despite the setbacks of the war, relations between Israel and France grew stronger.
During the late 1950s France supplied Israel with the Mirage
Mirage (aircraft)
Mirage is the name of a series of delta-winged fighters and bombers that have been produced by the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation, flown by the French Air Force, and widely exported to foreign counties.* Dassault Mirage III...
- Israel's most advanced aircraft to date and their first serious combat aircraft. During the 1970s Israel used this Mirage model to develop their own fighter aircraft: the Kfir
KFIR
KFIR is a radio station licensed to Sweet Home, Oregon, USA, the station serves the Willamette Valley. Albany, Corvallis, Lebanon, Salem, Sweet Home. News/Talk with Dennis Miller, Glenn Beck, Lars Larson, & Coast to Coast weekdays. The station is currently owned by Radio Fiesta Network,...
.
In October 1957 an agreement was signed between France and Israel about the construction of the nuclear power plant in Israel which was completed in 1963. Current Israeli President Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres
GCMG is the ninth President of the State of Israel. Peres served twice as the eighth Prime Minister of Israel and once as Interim Prime Minister, and has been a member of 12 cabinets in a political career spanning over 66 years...
was the politician who brokered the deal.
In 1960 Ben Gurion arrived in France for Israel's first official visit.
Until the 6 Day War France was the main supplier of Israel's weapons. In 1967 Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
made a one-sided disconnection with Israel. The reason was that de Gaulle supported the Arab neighbors of Israel (Egypt, Syria and Jordan) and as a result made an arms embargo on Israel.
In 1969 de Gaulle retired from presidency of France and Israel hoped that new president Georges Pompidou
Georges Pompidou
Georges Jean Raymond Pompidou was a French politician. He was Prime Minister of France from 1962 to 1968, holding the longest tenure in this position, and later President of the French Republic from 1969 until his death in 1974.-Biography:...
would bring about better relations between Israel and France but Pompidou continued the weapons embargo. This was one of the weakest moments in Israeli French relations.
1970s–1990s
In 1974 there were new elections and Valéry Giscard d'EstaingValéry Giscard d'Estaing
Valéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing is a French centre-right politician who was President of the French Republic from 1974 until 1981...
did not improve relations just like his predecessor and he supported the Palestinian cause and even met with Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat
Mohammed Yasser Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini , popularly known as Yasser Arafat or by his kunya Abu Ammar , was a Palestinian leader and a Laureate of the Nobel Prize. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization , President of the Palestinian National Authority...
and supported the entrance of the PLO to the United Nations.
In 1981 François Mitterrand
François Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
was elected 21st President of the French Republic
President of the French Republic
The President of the French Republic colloquially referred to in English as the President of France, is France's elected Head of State....
. Mitterrand was the first left-wing head of state since 1957 and was considered a friend of the Jewish people and a lover of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. In 1982 he visited Israel and in doing so was the first French president to visit Israel and even spoke in the Israeli parliament the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
. During this time Israel and France worked to improve the relations between them but in June 1982 relations worsened because of the First Lebanon War.
In 1988 Mitterrand won a second term and in 1990 Mitterrand it was discovered that he was in positive relations with the Vishi Government in occupied France and wasn’t willing to accept Frances responsibility in the treatment and eventual deportation of Jews during the Second World War. from this point on he was no longer thought of as a friend of the Jewish people.
In 1995 Jacques Chirac
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
was elected and during his time in office he did recognize Frances responsibility during World War II. He also took a more active part in the relations between Israel and the Palestinian authority. Chirac financially supported Arafat and put pressure on Israel to go back to the borders of 1967.
2000s
In 2003 Israel was angry at France for not supporting the United States in its war in Iraq against Saddam HusseinSaddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
. This was regarded by Israel as lack of consideration for its security given Iraqs support of the Palestinian cause despite the Al-Aqsa Intifada
Al-Aqsa Intifada
The Second Intifada, also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada and the Oslo War, was the second Palestinian uprising, a period of intensified Palestinian-Israeli violence, which began in late September 2000...
which went on until the disengagement.
After Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
announced Israel's unilateral disengagement plan
Israel's unilateral disengagement plan
Israel's unilateral disengagement plan , also known as the "Disengagement plan", "Gaza expulsion plan", and "Hitnatkut", was a proposal by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, adopted by the government on June 6, 2004 and enacted in August 2005, to evict all Israelis from the Gaza Strip and from...
in 2004 relations again began to escalate. Sharon went to Paris and was accepted with respect and honor and France demanded of the Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
to recognize Israel and cease their terror attacks. An Israeli French committee was created to increase cooperation. The committee had two goals. The first was the improve Israel's public image in France. The second was to improve Israeli French relations on all levels.
In 2007 Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
was elected president of France. He is considered a supporter of Israel and he has proclaimed that he will not compromise on the security of Israel. He was thought to be that because of his tough immigration policies on immigration from Islamic countries. In August 2008 Nicolas Sarkozy used his first major foreign policy speech to signal a shift from his predecessor, Jacques Chirac, casting himself as a "friend of Israel". The Israeli public viewed Chirac as hostile towards Israel, particularly when Chirac stood steadfastly behind former Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, especially during the first stages of the second Intifada.
On February 13, 2008, Sarkozy spoke at the annual dinner of the French Jewish CRIF
Conseil Représentatif des Institutions juives de France
Conseil Représentatif des Institutions juives de France is an umbrella organization of French Jewish organizations. CRIF opposes anti-Semitism and policies that they perceive to be anti-Semitic....
(Conseil Représentatif des Institutions juives de France). The address was seen as a sign of newfound warmth between France's Élysée Palace and French Jewry, whose place in French society has been shaken in recent years following a surge in anti-Semitic attacks. "Israel can count on a new dynamic to its relationship with the European Union", said Sarkozy. "France will never compromise on Israel's security."
Israel has welcomed Sarkozys tough stance against the Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
-backed Hamas and Iran-backed Hezbollah. During the 2006 Lebanon War, France played a key role in Europe's efforts to get a quick ceasefire. Later, President Sarkozy has positioned himself as a possible peace intermediary between Israel and the Arab world, inviting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
Ehud Olmert
Ehud Olmert is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He served as Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009, as a Cabinet Minister from 1988 to 1992 and from 2003 to 2006, and as Mayor of Jerusalem from 1993 to 2003....
and Syrian President Bashar al Assad to attend a Middle East conference in Paris on July 13, 2008.
On 26 June 2009 France and the rest of the G8
G8
The Group of Eight is a forum, created by France in 1975, for the governments of seven major economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1997, the group added Russia, thus becoming the G8...
called on Israel to halt Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territories as a key step toward a renewed peace drive.
France was extremely supportive of Israel during Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's statement that the Holocaust was "a myth" on his address at the united Nation September 2009. France, along with the United States, Britain, and Germany all issued statements slamming Ahmadinejad's outburst dismissing the killing of some six million Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
of occupied Europe by the Nazis during World War II.
On 30 June 2009, French President Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is the current Prime Minister of Israel. He serves also as the Chairman of the Likud Party, as a Knesset member, as the Health Minister of Israel, as the Pensioner Affairs Minister of Israel and as the Economic Strategy Minister of Israel.Netanyahu is the first and, to...
to dismiss Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman from his post, saying "You have to get rid of that man. You need to remove him from this position".
Economic relations
In 2006 French exports to Israel have grown 10 percent to $683 million (€1.06 billion) since 2003. France is Israel's 11th greatest supplier of goods and represents Israel's ninth largest market. France's main export items are motor vehicles, plastics, organic chemicals, aeronautical and space engineering products, perfumes and cosmeticsCosmetics
Cosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, towelettes, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, hair sprays and...
.
France is the second-leading tourist destination for Israelis, after the United States. At the same time the number of French people visiting Israel has grown considerably over the last few years.
Cultural, scientific and technical cooperation
There are numerous French cultural events that take place on a regular basis in Israel due to its large French speaking population. As a result of this in June 2007 a new French Institute opened in Tel AvivTel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
. In honor of Israel's 60th anniversary of its independence, Israel was the official guest at the annual Book Fair in Paris in March 2008.
France's cultural, technological and scientific cooperation with Israel is based on bilateral agreements that date back to 1959. the origin of this project is based on the existence of the high number of native French speakers in Israel (approximately 600,000 – 10 percent of the population) and considerable resources are devoted to this cooperation: $3.5M (€2.3M in 2007).
In 2009 Nissan unveiled its first all electric car, the Leaf
Nissan Leaf
Nissan introduced its first battery electric vehicle, the Nissan Altra at the Los Angeles International Auto Show on 29 December 1997. The Altra EV was produced between 1998 and 2002, only about 200 vehicles were ever produced, and it was mainly used as a fleet vehicle for companies such as...
. The Japanese maker of the car is 44-percent owned by France's Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
. Israel is among the countries set to have charging stations for this initiative.
Since 2004, six network research programs have been launched in medical genetics
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
, mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, medical and biological imaging
Imaging science
Imaging science is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the generation, collection, duplication, analysis, modification, and visualization of images . As an evolving field it includes research and researchers from physics, mathematics, electrical engineering, computer vision, computer science,...
, as well as bioinformatics
Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics is the application of computer science and information technology to the field of biology and medicine. Bioinformatics deals with algorithms, databases and information systems, web technologies, artificial intelligence and soft computing, information and computation theory, software...
, with nearly 100 researchers involved in each. New programs are expected to be introduced in the areas of genomics
Genomics
Genomics is a discipline in genetics concerning the study of the genomes of organisms. The field includes intensive efforts to determine the entire DNA sequence of organisms and fine-scale genetic mapping efforts. The field also includes studies of intragenomic phenomena such as heterosis,...
, cancer research
Cancer research
Cancer research is basic research into cancer in order to identify causes and develop strategies for prevention, diagnosis, treatments and cure....
, neuroscience
Neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
, astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
and robotics
Robotics
Robotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots...
.
See also
- Dreyfus affairDreyfus AffairThe Dreyfus affair was a political scandal that divided France in the 1890s and the early 1900s. It involved the conviction for treason in November 1894 of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a young French artillery officer of Alsatian Jewish descent...
- International recognition of IsraelInternational recognition of IsraelThe recognition of Israel in the international community remains an outstanding issue of the Arab–Israeli conflict. Pursuant to the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, which provided for the establishment of a Jewish state, Israel declared its independence at midnight on 14 May 1948...
- Foreign relations of Vichy FranceForeign relations of Vichy FranceThe Vichy regime, proclaimed by Marshal Philippe Pétain after the Fall of France in 1940 before Nazi Germany, was quickly recognized by the Allies, including the USSR until 30 June 1941 and Operation Barbarossa. However, Vichy France broke with the United Kingdom after the destruction of the French...
- History of the Jews in FranceHistory of the Jews in FranceThe history of the Jews of France dates back over 2,000 years. In the early Middle Ages, France was a center of Jewish learning, but persecution increased as the Middle Ages wore on...
- Napoleon and the JewsNapoleon and the JewsThe ascendancy of Napoleon Bonaparte proved to be an important event in European Jewish emancipation from old laws restricting them to ghettos, as well as the many laws that limited Jews' rights to property, worship, and careers.- Napoleon's Law and the Jews :...
External links
- Association France–Israël
- France 24 on Israel Gaza
- G8 calls for immediate halt to Iran violence
- France response to Ahmadinejad Holocaust remarks
- French Electric car initiative
- Sharon's visit to France
- Israel Project (French Israel relations review)
- France-Israel Association (French Embassy)
- History of France-Israel Friendship Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs