French embassy worker sentenced for smuggling guns to Palestinians

One of the reasons Israel takes security so seriously is because of stories like this: A French embassy worker in Jerusalem abused the lax security checks given to diplomats in order to smuggle arms into Gaza.

Romain Franck was sentenced to seven years with a fine of 30,000 shekels ($8,400) by an Israeli court for using his diplomatic car to ferry 70 pistols and two automatic rifles from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank.

Franck’s lawyer Kenneth Mann his 24-year-old client showed remorse and that he did it for the money, not out of solidarity with Palestinian terror groups. Franck was paid some 20,000 shekels ($5,500) by a network made up of several Palestinian operatives, Israel said.

“This is a very, very difficult thing for the whole family of course, but they understand that this is the law and they hope that their son will be returned to France as quickly as possible,” Mann said.

Franck was arrested in February 2018. Israeli officials have said he acted on his own without the consulate’s knowledge and that diplomatic relations with France were not affected.

French consulate worker alleged to have smuggled weapons to Hamas in Gaza. (Shin Bet). (photo credit: SHIN BET)