French President Sarkozy, Wife Carla Bruni Run Into Plane After Israeli Officer Shoots Himself (VIDEO)

An Israeli police officer fatally shot himself Tuesday at an airport departure ceremony for French President Nicolas Sarkozy, sparking fear of an assassination attempt and prompting bodyguards to whisk away Sarkozy and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, officials said.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said there had been no assassination attempt on the French leader.

Watch video below from the scene and click here for updates:

Another police official said the shooting was a suicide, while a third said it may have been accidental.

Dark-suited men quickly ushered Sarkozy and his wife up the stairs of their plane. At the same time, security guards with guns drawn rushed Olmert and Israeli President Shimon Peres toward their cars.

Sarkozy's wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, rushed up the stairs ahead of her husband.

The shooting occurred while a military band was playing, and the leaders apparently didn't hear anything.

Story continues below

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The incident was over within minutes, and Olmert boarded the plane to inform Sarkozy what had transpired, witnesses said.

Police spokesman Shlomi Sagi confirmed that a policeman guarding the airport committed suicide just as Sarkozy was about to board his plane.

Officials said he shot himself in the head.

The area police commander, Nissim Mor, said police were looking into the incident.

"We are currently investigating the circumstances to see whether it was suicide or if he accidentally discharged his weapon," he said. "His mission was to secure an area to prevent people from reaching the ceremony."

Sarkozy's three-day trip to Israel was meant to improve relations between the two countries.

French presidential spokesman Franck Louvrier could not be reached for comment on his mobile phone. Another presidential spokesman who was on a separate scheduled flight out of Tel Aviv said he knew nothing about the incident.

Comments

[The Hedonistic Pleasureseeker]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article4209639.ece

Dead guy's family says no way he committed suicide: He was happy, was making future plans.

[MagisterLudi]

The dude must' ve seen Zohar.

[FZliveson]

It is culturally taboo for a Druze to commit suicide. The man probably came upon others who were going to do something nefarious and got his ass shot off because he was under-skilled or out-numbered. "Suicide" is a ruse. Something else was happening; especially since Olmert was about to be voted out as PM by his party.

[francoise]

Too much ignorance from too many posters on this thread.

Sarko is no jewish. His grand father was. So what ? Religion is not genetically transmitted.

Although Sarko is said to have been a sayed ( = someone who helps mossad agents in staying anonymous when coming in france), it seems from his speeches that he promotes some fairness in the creation of a Palestinian nation.

Contrasting with Obama's statement, he does not agree with giving the whole of Jerusalem to the jews. He said he wanted the palestinians to have a fair share of the holy city.

He strongly criticized the jewish concrete wall, and right in their face.

As for him to be a dictator and an extreme right winger, let me laugh ! European extreme right wingers are more pinko and liberal than Kucinich, Obama, or Clinton. And more green ! At least here we've all started fighting to reduce our carbon print, when many Americans still have to understand what climate change consists in.

I don't agree with everything concerning Sarko. But at least, I try to read what's happening here AND ABROAD, and I try to think before I open my big mouth.

[UnknownSoldier]

Well according to Jews Religion does transfer genetically. They view themselves as god's chosen people, and Jewish blood is to preserved at all cost. A jew can never stop being jewish, there were many who died at the hands of Nazi who probably didn't go to the Synogoge every saturday, they were murdered for whom they were not what religious beliefs they held.

[MagisterLudi]

Read and learn.

One can be an atheist Jew. But one can't be an atheist Muslim. Because of Diaspora, the Semitic race of Jews has been held together until quit recently by their common religion. This is the primary reason while Jews have survived, while many great races and languages and religions vanished ( Celts, Vikings, Latin, Zoroastrianism etc).
Nonetheless, Jews are a single race,one of the Semitic branches, considerably interbred with various diaspora races. Thus, white, brown and black Jews.

The European Anti-Semitism was primarily religious in nature:Christ killers, weird rituals etc.
Arabic Anti-Semticism is both religious and fraternal in nature. Before Israel Jews were despised as weak infidels but tolerated as useful 2nd class peple.memb­ers of society.
But nothing compares to Arab fury when suddenly the racial "brother" the Jew broke the mold and developed a strong and successful state. This IS the central pivot of Isareli/ Arab conflict. Nothin' like sibling rivalry.
Palestinians ( and world opinion) are just pawns in that game.

[MagisterLudi]

francoise posted European extreme right wingers are more pinko and liberal than Kucinich, Obama, or Clinton.

ABSOLUTELY­.... Merci beaucoup..­..

I been trying to tell this to these deluded left-wing pretenders for years.
But they think anyone who criticise Obama is a right winger.
Many in U.S. can't even imagine that critique may also come from the left.
To them Obama is the most left-wing politician they've encountered. How sad.

[Wolfgang]

If he was a border policman than he may have been Arab or Druze. I doubt this was a suicide.

[dschwarz]

Got evidence?

[HumeSkeptic]

Wollfgang is expressing doubt based on an assumption that he clearly states. Your request for evidence seems unreasonable.

[Wolfgang]

Many Druze and some non-Druze Arabs serve in the Israeli border police. We will find out all the details of his background soon enough.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/druze.html

[Anciano]

No matter how good looking you think you or your woman is, those French will outclass you everytime. Some just shrug, others just can't bear the comparison.

[munkii]

i agree, something smells fishy

[Crozier]

Assassination attempts only occur in nations other than your own. LOL. The United States has been a nation of " lone crazed gunmen" - some of whom have been successful and others less so.

You are unpatriotic if you believe in conspiracy theories about assassinat­ions......­LOL

[Boobaloo]

This soldier was sending a message not only to Sarkozy and the international community but to Olmert and Israeli leadership aswell.

I've read that suicides among Israeli soldiers is at epidemic proportions.

This is a cry for help if I ever heard one.

[VitriolAndAngst]

All right, this is yet another incident involving NeoCons that is right out of the Omen. Look for a black raven in the video footage.

[betz55]

Who knows what really happened. My take is that, being on border patrol, maybe he just got fed up.
They are called "Refuseniks" - IDF soldiers who in the past, refused to serve in the settlements. These IDF personnel did not have the stomach to carry out their orders to brutalize the Palestinians on a daily basis. There are hundreds of them, Israeli soldiers and pilots whose conscience does not allow them to participate in the brutal, illegal and immoral Occupation of the Palestinian Territories. Of course the Israeli's deny any existence of the " Refuseniks". The more Israel tries to hide, coverup, and deny their problems and apartheid, the more visible, vocal, and demanding the world will become. South Africa all over again.

[MagisterLudi]

betz55 posted :"Of course the Israeli's deny any existence of the " Refuseniks".

Dude, the reason YOU know about, is because it was reported, discussed and analyzed in Israeli media and then passed on to the world media.Isar­eli media is most liberal, left wing and free in the Middle East.
Deal with it.

[The Hedonistic Pleasureseeker]

HM. Who was being targeted, Sarkozy or Olmert? Both are about as well liked in their respective countries as explosive diarrhea at a company picnic. We may never know.

[cimwright]

Something smells badly. I am sure this is tied to the European Union. Sarkozy is part of the EU dictators. I know he got elected but the EU leaders are acting like dictators. I am sure the guy did not commit suicide.

[JohnIII]

Yeah. Smells like a cover up.

[kellygrrrl]

don't you worry your pretty head!

now get out there and SHOP!

don't forget to gas up on your way to WalMart ;0

[squander123]

What on earth are you talking about?!

[Meggie]

RUN Sarkozy RUN.
You're tough on terrorism?

[kellygrrrl]

No explanation as to why the officer killed himself."

uhm, yeah, that's a real tough one to figure