France blocks Israeli weapons display at Paris airshow: What to know
After their exclusion from the Eurosatory and Euronaval fairs, Israeli armament companies have now been prevented from participating in the Bourget defense show in Paris.
PARIS — Walls were erected overnight Sunday around the Israeli pavilion at the prestigious French Bourget airshow, preventing visitors and buyers from accessing the display.
What happened: French authorities instructed the organizers of Bourget to block access to the pavilion after Israeli companies refused to remove all offensive weapons, saying the instructions were discriminatory and politically motivated.
The Elysee Palace confirmed to Al-Monitor that the decision was made by the French government and that a written act was adopted on the issue last week. The French Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the apparent growing tensions between the two countries.
An Israeli diplomatic source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, "Paris continues its discriminatory policy. President Emmanuel Macron expressed last week his commitment to the security of Israel, but now he is preventing the Israeli companies from doing business. He is hurting Israel's economy at an especially fragile moment. What’s more, these companies are helping European countries to stand against Russia in the Ukraine war. It is difficult to understand what Paris seeks to achieve by this move."
In May 2024, Israeli companies were prevented from participating in the Paris defense exhibition Eurosatory. “The conditions are no longer met to receive Israeli companies at the French show, in the context of the President of the Republic calling for Israeli operations to cease in Rafah,” the French Defense Ministry told Al-Monitor at the time. The Israeli companies approached the French court of commerce, which ruled in their favor, but the ruling came too late for them to construct their stands at the fairground.
A similar episode took place last November, when Israeli companies were prevented from displaying at the Euronaval maritime show in Paris. "The French government informed Euronaval of its decision to approve the participation of Israeli delegations at Euronaval 2024 without any stand or exhibition of equipment," the organizers of the show told Al-Monitor at the time. The French commerce court sided with the Israeli companies, allowing them to fully participate in the fair.
After these two incidents, the Israeli government and Israeli defense companies were in constant contact with the French authorities ahead of the Bourget show, one of the most important defense fairs in the world. Israeli and French diplomatic sources both told Al-Monitor that Israeli companies would be allowed to participate without any limitations.
Despite these assurances, the French government decided Israeli companies would not be allowed to feature any weapons considered offensive at Bourget. The Israeli companies refused to adhere to these instructions and the display was blocked off.
Reaction: "Following instructions from Israel’s Ministry of Defense Director General, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram, the ministry informed organizers that it categorically rejects this demand," read a statement issued by the Israeli Defense Ministry on Monday.
The statement called the decision “outrageous.” “This outrageous and unprecedented decision reeks of policy-driven and commercial considerations. This comes at a time when Israel is fighting a necessary and just war to eliminate the nuclear and ballistic threat facing the Middle East, Europe and the entire world,” the Israeli ministry said.
