Do not close the Consulate of France in Haifa! Ne fermez pas le Consulat de France a Haifa!

An English translation of this petition follows the French text.

Il est serieusement question, au Quai d'Orsay, de "regrouper" le Consulat de Haifa avec celui de Tel-Aviv, en fait, de fermer le Consulat de France a Haifa*.
Pour nous, habitants de Haifa et du Nord d'Israel, cela veut dire que pour chaque demarche d'etat civil ou de notariat ou que, pour remplir notre devoir de citoyen Francais en votant, nous devrons nous rendre a Tel-Aviv. Ceci obligera ceux d'entre nous qui travaillons ou qui etudions, a perdre une journee de travail ou d'etudes. Pour les personnes agees ou accompagnees de petits enfants ce sera tres difficile.
Les equipes du Consulat et du Centre Culturel Francais de Haifa-Nazareth s'impliquent avec succes dans la vie economique et culturelle de Haifa et de la region du Nord d'Israel. Cette decision nous semble d'autant plus injuste que Mme Forgeron, consule de France a Haifa et directrice du Centre Culturel Francais ainsi que toute l'equipe du Consulat ont fait et font tout ce qu'ils peuvent pour aider les ressortissants Francais en Israel, meme dans des moments tres difficiles, lorsque nous etions sous les missiles.
Cette decision survient alors que l'on commence a ressentir un degel bienvenu des relations entre Israel et la France, representee aupres de toutes les communautes de Haifa et de Galilee par Mme Forgeron, respectee de tous.
Nous vous prions expressement, Mr Kouchner, en tant que Ministre des Affaires Etrangeres de reconsiderer cette decision

*Pour plus de details consultez
- l'article de Daphna Poznanski, Jacquot Grunewald et Yigal Dawidowicz, Jerusalem Post-Edition Francaise, du 29 janvier au 4 fevrier
- le blog de Sylvain Semhoun, www.terredisrael.com/wordpress/?p806

Traduction du texte de la petition en Hebreu sur le site de la Communaute Francaise de Haifa www.Haifa-Israel.info

The Quai d'Orsay, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is considering merging the Haifa Consulate with that of Tel Aviv. In fact, this decision will lead to the closure of the French Consulate in Haifa *.
For us, the inhabitants of Haifa and Northern Israel, this means that we will have to travel to Tel Aviv every time that we have to obtain an official document or notarized certificate, and whenever we have to fulfill our duty of voting for French elections. This will require those of us who are working or studying to lose a day of work or of study. For the elderly or for people accompanied by small children it will be very difficult.
The teams of people working for the Consulate and for the Haifa-Nazareth French Cultural Center are successfully involved in the economic and cultural life of Haifa and of the northern region of Israel.
This decision seems all the more unfair since Mrs. Loanne Forgeron, Consule of France in Haifa and director of the French Cultural Center, and her team at the Consulate, have been doing everything they can to help French nationals in Israel, even in very difficult times, when we were all under missile attacks.
This decision comes at a moment where we have started to feel a welcome thaw in relations between Israel and France, France represented in all communities in Haifa and Galilee by Mrs. Forgeron, who is respected by all.
We call on you, Mr Kouchner, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, to reconsider this decision

*For details see
-- Article by Daphna Poznanski, Jacquot Grunewald and Yigal Dawidowicz, Jerusalem Post-French Edition, (January 29 to February 4)
-- Sylvain Semhoun's Blog, www.terredisrael.com/wordpress/?p806

The translation of this petition into Hebrew appears in the site www.Haifa-Israel.info