French Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie
Photo: AP
Sderot welcomes French FM
After rude welcome in Gaza, French foreign minister received with flowers in southern Israeli town; mayor tells Michele Alliot-Marie about Qassam threat, children's traumas as result of rocket attacks
After rude welcome in Gaza, French FM warmly received in Sderot: French Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie visited the town of Sderot Friday after being attacked by angry Palestinians in the Gaza Strip earlier in the day.
The minister's Sderot visit was brought forward because inspections at the Erez border crossing ended quickly, French officials said, but sources in Sderot claimed the visit was held earlier than planned because of the attack on Alliot-Marie's vehicle.
Dozens of Gazans encircled the minister's car while hurling eggs and shoes at it as result of a comment mistakenly attributed to Alliot-Marie, who was erroneously quoted as saying that the holding of Gilad Shalit is a war crime.
Rude Welcome
Crowd of angry Palestinians tries to block Michele Alliot-Marie's passage through Erez Crossing over statement mistakenly attributed to her
In Sderot, Alliot-Marie was welcome by Mayor David Buskila, who received the French guest with a bouquet of flowers. He told the minister about life under the threat of Qassams, noting that "the children have traumas; they lost their childhood."
Marie visited the "collection" of Qassam rockets kept at the local police station, where she received a briefing about the ongoing attacks from Gaza on the southern Israel city that have persisted for years. She later met with a group of French-speaking local residents who told her about life in the city under the rocket threat.
While Sderot residents expected the minister to speak decisively about the rocket attacks, she expressed herself diplomatically, noting that she did not arrive in the city in order to deliver speeches, but rather, to hear the residents. Gaza residents need to receive help because of the blockade they are suffering under, but everything must also be done to ensure that no threat persists against Sderot, she said.
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