The Chairman of the Constitution Committee, MK Simcha Rothman, appealed Monday evening to Foreign Minister Eli Cohen to investigate a suspected breach of trust by employees of the Israeli Embassy in France in relation to their conduct towards Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich during his recent visit to Paris.
"A news item was published this evening on Channel 12 News, which revealed that the acting ambassador and employees of the embassy in France actively acted against Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich as part of his visit to the country. According to the report, the Ambassador and other employees contacted officials in the Jewish community in the country and worked to prevent meetings between them and the Minister of Finance," MK Rothman described.
Des employés de l’ambassade d’#Israël en France ont oeuvré pour saper la visite de Smotrich en #France https://t.co/xwhsUNrWir
— Jean-Louis Musset (@Miligor25) June 13, 2023
According to him, "As is well known, the role of Israeli embassies in the world is to act professionally, state-wise, and non-politically. The conduct that emerges from the aforementioned report is serious beyond compare and undermines the very justification for the embassy's activity and the entire foreign service. We cannot agree with an unprecedented situation in which embassy employees are acting in a distinctly political manner while damaging the government of Israel and its position in France and the world."
Smotrich is saying Rothman was not the violent offender. Rothman is seen
— Ron Kampeas (@kampeas) June 3, 2023
On camera in NY rushing a protester with a megaphone who is following him and shouting slogans and wresting the megaphone from her https://t.co/BlVVD7CIck
"Furthermore - it seems that the described conduct amounts to the offense of misuse of a governmental office as defined in section 280 of the Penal Law, 1977-777 and even a breach of trust as defined in section 284 of the law, and requires the opening of a criminal investigation, and at the very least a disciplinary one. I ask you to call the ambassador back to Israel immediately, and act to remove any person in the embassy in France who acted in violation of his legal duty," Rothman concluded.
MK Ohad Tal also joined the demand to investigate the embassy personnel. In a letter he sent to Minister Eli Cohen, he wrote: "This conduct is like a breach of trust in the position and in the State of Israel, contradicting every obligation required by the ethical code for a civil servant and is a scandalous event that cannot be put on the agenda."
Rothman: Israeli Embassy Staff Sabotaged Smotrich’s Visit to Paris - @JewishPress - https://t.co/VqqJr8MYQy pic.twitter.com/z0OinAvq7T
— JewishPress.com (@JewishPress) June 13, 2023
Tal further added: "Therefore, I am appealing to you to look into the case in detail and to examine in its wake the continuation of the tenure of Israel's acting ambassador in Paris and to order his immediate suspension as well as the taking of severe measures against anyone who is found to be involved in this unusual event."
