In 1623, King Louis XIII appointed the first consul in Jerusalem "for the Glory of God and to relieve the pious pilgrims who by devotion visit the Holy Places.

After an incident involving the Franciscans and the Armenians at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, King Louis XIII was called upon to restore the rights of the Latins.

[7] It was then that King Louis XIII decided to appoint a Consul in Jerusalem "for the Glory of God and to relieve the pious pilgrims whom by devotion visit the Holy places.

"[2] In accordance with the terms of the treaty, and following a series of negotiations of the French Ambassador in Constantinople, the first consul in Jerusalem was nominated in 1621 by King Louis XIII.

[8] Dror Ze'evi describes in his book the circumstances of his arrival as follows : "Bearing a royal Ottoman decree, he proceeded to the city with an impressive entourage, and finally presented his credentials to a haughty and reserved local qadi.

[13] Amidst this growing competition between European powers, the Consul of France, Count Gabriel de Lantigny, decided to create Brothers of Christians schools and entrusted them to a Catholic congregation, known as the Lazarists.

Later, when a Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem was re-established in 1847, despite France's prior reluctance to the appointment of Giuseppe Valerga as a Patriarch (mostly because he was a citizen of the rival Kingdom of Sardinia and the Grand Master of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, a Franciscan Order), the Consul General of France Helouis-Jorelle recognized Giuseppe Valerga's high distinction when he arrived in Jerusalem on January 17, 1848.

The replacement of Helouis Jorelle by Emile Botta on November 1, 1848, marked the beginning of a period of collaboration between the newly appointed Consul and the Patriarch.

In addition, through the Agreements of Mytilene and Constantinople, tax and custom privileges were notably granted to religious communities placed under the protection of France, thus enabling it to confirm its protectorate.

Following the San Remo conference and the establishment of the British Mandate for Palestine, France lost its protectorate over the Holy Land, and the prerogatives of the Consul General were subsequently reduced.

[16] Catherine Niraud summarizes the situation as follows: "in early 1924, last vestiges of the protectorate exercised by France for four centuries – and unbroken except for World War I – over the 'Latin' Christians of the former Ottoman Empire disappeared.

"[17] Despite the official end of the French protectorate and a lesser role recognized by the ruling authority in Palestine, France was not inclined to diminish its influence in the region.

Dominique Trimbur wrote "Paris and its representatives acted as if France still occupied the place of protective power which it had at the time of the Ottoman Empire.

Dominique Trimbur stresses the role of Amédée Outrey, Consul General of France in Jerusalem from 1938 to 1941, in restoring the status quo: "for him, it (was) first of all a matter of serving as the arbitrator of the communities and of avoiding absolutely any British interference in their affairs."

From 1843, the successive Consuls began to voice dissatisfaction with their housing conditions in Jerusalem; they found the living situation unhealthy, precarious and cramped.

In 1910, thanks to a contribution of Count Michel de Pierredon, France acquired 5,054 m2 of land in the west side of Jerusalem, next to the King David Hotel near the Old City.

[21] As a result of this unique status and of the complex political situation, in a city divided from 1948 to 1967 between Israel and Jordan, the Consul General had to cross Mandelbaum Gate on a daily basis to reach the new premises of the Consulate General situated in East Jerusalem – first in the French national domain [fr] of St Anne's church and later in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.

France adopted on November 22, the 1967 United Nations Security Council Resolution 242,[5] calling upon Israel to cancel "all legislative and administrative measures and actions taken (...), including expropriation of land and properties thereon, which tend to change the legal status of Jerusalem” and “to rescind all such measures already taken and to desist forthwith from taking any further action which tend to change the status of Jerusalem”.

[35] Regarding the visa application process, the access to the consulate has become difficult for the Palestinians living in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip, as they now need a permit to enter Jerusalem.

[4] Catherine Nicault writes: "In terms of duties, France's representatives, the Ambassador in Constantinople and after 1843, the Consul General was obligated to assist the Latins in their disputes with or appeals to the Ottoman Authorities.

(...) But the price paid for these efforts was rewarded since the representatives of France ruled over the Catholic clientele and during religious ceremonies held in the Holy Land, in particular in the Saint Sepulchre, were given carefully codified liturgical honors which made them the most eminent foreign dignitaries in Jerusalem.

The solemn entry ceremony, codified in a treaty signed by Aristide Briand, Minister of Foreign Affaires and Mgr Luigi Maglione, Apostolic Nuncio on December 4, 1926, has remained the same since then.

There, the Consul General greeted the superiors of the Greek, Franciscan and Armenian convents, guardians of the Holy Place, before going to the shrine where the gospel of the resurrection according to Saint Mark was proclaimed.

The Custos of the Holy Land, Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, made a speech welcoming the Consul General and recalling the prominent role incumbent upon France in the region.

[37] According to an agreement reached by France and Israel in 1948 (so-called Chauvel-Fisher letters), the rights and privileges entitled to French institutions should be maintained.

[40] In addition to being the diplomatic representation to the Palestinian Authority, the Consul General is also the representative of France to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

[41] When Yasser Arafat moved to Gaza City in July 1994, the Consulate General established official political ties with the Palestinian administration.

[42] France's declared objective is to support "the creation of a viable, independent, democratic Palestinian state living in peace and security alongside Israel.

"[44] According to the French-Palestinian framework partnership document signed in Paris in December 2009, France will allocate 68 million Euros annually over a period of three years.

[44] The Consulate General has a significant policy of cooperation in the Palestinian Territories in multiple fields: education, culture, economy and finance, health and humanitarian aid.