GPS not included: French diplomacy’s latest wrong turn

In a somewhat confusing moment of cartographic creativity, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced Wednesday night on LCI that France had sent both military and civilian personnel to Israel to join a U.S.-led coordination center “between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv” — part of ongoing plans to manage the post-war situation in Gaza.

Only one problem: the center isn’t located between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv at all. It’s in Kiryat Gat, a city nestled between Ashkelon and Beersheba, just 35 kilometers from Gaza.

Apparently, precision isn’t a priority when sketching the geopolitical map during primetime interviews.

Not exactly a hidden outpost. Kiryat Gat is in southern Israel, nowhere near the bustling corridor of Tel Aviv–Jerusalem. It’s much closer to the tension zones of the south, which makes perfect sense for a military coordination center focused on Gaza’s aftermath.

Maybe the minister simply confused “coordination center” with “central location.” Or maybe he meant spiritually “between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv,” which, to be fair, could mean anywhere with a solid internet connection.

This isn’t just a harmless slip-up — not when it involves French personnel deployed in a volatile region, working on post-conflict stabilization alongside U.S. and Israeli teams. You’d think knowing where your people are stationed would be a basic diplomatic requirement.

Before announcing military deployments on TV, it helps to check a map. Otherwise, next time, we might learn that French troops have set up in Tel Aviv... only to be found somewhere near the Sinai.

In the same interview, Jean-Noël Barrot once again claimed that France’s recognition of a Palestinian state — along with that of a handful of other countries — paved the way for Donald Trump’s peace plan.

This is, of course, false.