Where did the French get a reputation for diplomacy?

The new French ambassador to Israel gets off to a bad start.

"France's new ambassador to Israel caused a diplomatic row with his hosts yesterday after he was reported to have described the Jewish state as 'paranoid' and called its prime minister, Ariel Sharon, 'a lout.'"

"...The row is reminiscent of comments by Daniel Bernard, the former French ambassador to London. He caused a storm in December 2001 after being heard at a dinner party speaking of 'that shitty little country, Israel.'

"M Araud's comments appear to have been made in a similarly unguarded moment. Boaz Bissmuth, a correspondent for the mass circulation Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot, reported hearing M Araud talk disparagingly about Israel in conversation with two other French diplomats during a recent cocktail party in Paris."

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