Former French President Sarkozy Visits Jerusalem’s Western Wall
Nicolas Sarkozy, former head of the Les Republicains political party, attends a Les Republicains (LR) public meeting in Les Sables d’Olonne, France, on October 1, 2016. Photo: REUTERS/Stephane Mahe/File Photo.
i24 News – Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Sunday visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City. The former leader was accompanied by his spouse, the singer Carla Bruni, and the couple’s daughter.
They were greeted there by the site’s rabbi, Shmuel Rabinowitz, and the director of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, Mordechai Eliav, who spoke about the site’s unique historic significance throughout the ages.
As per custom, Sarkozy and Bruni slipped a note between the stones, following a tour of the tunnels adjacent to the site, where they were able to learn more about the history of the place. During their visit, the couple expressed their enthusiasm for the “exciting place” as well as their deep friendship with Israel.
The former French president had already visited Israel in 2015. During that visit, he condemned the then-imminent Iranian nuclear agreement, as well as attempts to boycott the Jewish state.
He was then received by then Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and was invited to speak at a security conference in Herzliya. “Peace in the region will come through the efforts of Israelis and the Palestinians themselves,” he said at the time.