Carla, Sarkozy flee Israeli runway

A visit by the French President and his new wife to the Middle East has been disrupted by a shooting at an airport in Tel Aviv.

He and his wife were saying their goodbyes when a shot rang out across Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.

President Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy were immediately surrounded by bodyguards and ushered - a little quicker than planned - onto their plane.

But fears of a terrorist attack were quickly ruled out.

Police say a border guard - stationed around 150 metres from the plane - shot himself dead.

Two women soldiers who witnessed the apparent suicide fainted.

Until then the visit had gone smoothly.

The President's wife toured a Jerusalem hospital - meeting children in one of the wards.

She received several gifts from the patients.

Sarkozy met the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and also made the first speech by a French President since 1982 at Israel's parliament.

Afterwards he told reporters he was keen to help.

(SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT NICOLAS SARKOZY SAYING:

"In the peace process we will be observers if you want, actors if you wish, but always men and women acting in good faith. France is ready to put at your disposal our economic power, our financial power, our soldiers and our diplomatic powers so that peace can come now."

The papparrazi followed the couple throughout the trip.

They were keen to photograph Sarkozy's wife - a former model and pop singer.

She seemed uneasy under the cameras gaze and after such a dramatic end was no doubt relieved to be heading home.

Sonia Legg, Reuters.