France-Israel – General Koenig Alliance

France-Israël – Alliance Général Kœnig is a French association dedicated to fostering friendship and mutual understanding between France and Israel. It traces its origins to 1926, when an organisation called France-Palestine, amis du sionisme was founded under the auspices of French President Gaston Doumergue, with Joseph Paul-Boncour and Justin Godart among its founders. Its original purpose was to make known what it described as the imprescriptible rights of the Jewish nation to its national home. In 1948, with the establishment of the State of Israel, the association took the name France-Israël. A parallel body, the Alliance France-Israël, was created the same year, and the two merged in 1987 to form the present organisation, France-Israël – Alliance Général Kœnig. The association describes itself as working for rapprochement between peoples, based on the conviction that friendship rests on mutual understanding. It seeks to promote knowledge of the political, economic, social, historical and cultural realities of France and Israel. Through sections across French territory, it organises meetings, conferences and events that sustain local dialogue and exchanges between the two countries. Its website publishes articles and news under headings such as Culture, Sciences, High-tech, Environment, and Society & Current Affairs. Over the decades the association has brought together numerous French public figures, including parliamentarians. Its presidents have included Diomède Catroux, General Pierre Koenig (Maréchal de France), Georges Mesmin, Pierre Giraud, Michel Darmon, Gilles-William Goldnadel and, since 2018, Ariel Amar. The Alliance France-Israël was led by Jacques Soustelle, André Monteil and General Jean Lecomte. The organisation is registered in France as an association under the 1901 law and appears in the Répertoire national des associations.

The organisation now known as France-Israël – Alliance Général Kœnig began in 1926 as France-Palestine, amis du sionisme. According to its own history, it was founded by Joseph Paul-Boncour, then President of the Council, and Justin Godart, a minister, under the high patronage of President of the Republic Gaston Doumergue. Its founding bureau comprised 24 personalities, among them Marius Moutet, Édouard Herriot, Paul Painlevé, Jules Cambon, Aristide Briand, Raymond Poincaré, Louis Barthou and Paul Langevin. The association's stated original vocation was to make known, in national and international bodies, what it called the imprescriptible rights of the Jewish nation to its national home. In 1948, with the birth of the State of Israel, the association changed its name to France-Israël. In fact two organisations coexisted: the Association France-Israël, heir to the 1926 France-Palestine association, and the Alliance France-Israël, created in 1948. Both pursued the same goal of friendship with the State of Israel, though by different methods. The Alliance France-Israël was presided over by Jacques Soustelle, a former minister, from 1956 to 1961; by André Monteil, also a former minister, from 1971 to 1977; and by General Jean Lecomte from 1977 to 1986. The Association France-Israël was presided over by Diomède Catroux, a former minister; by General Pierre Koenig, Maréchal de France, from 1961 to 1970; and by Georges Mesmin, deputy for Paris, from 1980 to 1986. In 1987 the two associations merged into a single body named France-Israël – Alliance Général Kœnig. Pierre Giraud, a senator, served as president from 1986 to 1988. He was succeeded by Michel Darmon, an engineer and general, who led the association from 1988 to 2004. Gilles-William Goldnadel, a lawyer, was president from 2004 to 2018, and Ariel Amar, a pharmacist, has held the presidency since 2018. Throughout its existence the association has brought together numerous French personalities, notably parliamentarians, and has maintained a network of sections across French territory. Its activities combine conferences, commemorations, film screenings and publications on political, economic, social, historical and cultural themes relating to France and Israel. It is registered in France as an association and appears in the Répertoire national des associations.

• 2018

  Ariel Amar becomes president.

• 2004

  Gilles-William Goldnadel becomes president (until 2018).

• 1988

  Michel Darmon becomes president (until 2004).

• 1987

  The two associations merge to form France-Israël – Alliance Général Kœnig.

• 1986

  Pierre Giraud serves as president (until 1988).

• 1980

  Georges Mesmin becomes president of the Association France-Israël (until 1986).

• 1977

  General Jean Lecomte becomes president of the Alliance France-Israël (until 1986).

• 1971

  André Monteil becomes president of the Alliance France-Israël (until 1977).

• 1961

  General Pierre Koenig becomes president of the Association France-Israël (until 1970).

• 1956

  Jacques Soustelle becomes president of the Alliance France-Israël (until 1961).

• 1948

  The association is renamed France-Israël following the establishment of the State of Israel; the Alliance France-Israël is also created.

• 1926

  France-Palestine, amis du sionisme is founded under the patronage of President Gaston Doumergue, with Joseph Paul-Boncour and Justin Godart among its founders.

A French friendship association promoting dialogue, mutual understanding and exchanges between France and Israel.

• Membership and support programmes

• Conferences and public events

• Cultural, scientific and high-tech articles

• Local section activities across France

1. 1France-Israël – Alliance Générale Kœnig (official website)franceisrael.fr
2. 2France-Israël – Histoirefranceisrael.fr
3. 3Wikidata: France-Israelwikidata.org
4. 4Wikipédia: France-Israëlfr.wikipedia.org