Ceremony was stopped, Sarkozy and Bruni rushed to plane and took off. Israeli radio says the soldier apparently shot himself and fell down.

Television footage showed bodyguards hustling Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy into their airplane at Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion Airport while other security men surrounded Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and moved him quickly toward his car.

The plane departed without further incident.

A security guard holds his weapon at Ben Gurion International Airport, Tuesday.