France bans Israeli firms from participating in prestigious defense exhibition

Europe, Middle East, News June 3, 2024 , by IRIA No Comments

France has imposed a ban on Israeli companies from taking part in the annual Eurosatory 2024 arms and defense industry exhibition, scheduled to take place in Villepinte near Paris next month. 74 Israeli defense firms had applied to participate in the prestigious exhibition.

“By decision of the government authorities, there will be no stand for the Israeli defense industry at the Eurosatory 2024 fair,” a statement from the event’s organizer, Coges Events, said.

Coges did not provide a detailed explanation about the ban, however, France’s defense ministry released a statement saying that “the conditions are no longer right to host Israeli companies at the Paris show, given that the French president is calling for the cessation of IDF operation in Rafah.”

Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his outrage over the Israeli air raid that killed 45 people in a displaced persons camp. Despite these warnings, Israel proceeded with a major offensive against Rafah, displacing around one million people from the city. The assault led to Israeli forces taking control of the Rafah crossing with Egypt, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

A group of activists also issued a legal warning and urged Coges to take measures to avoid buying and selling weapons that could be used in war crimes committed in Gaza or other parts of the occupied Palestinian territory.

French President Emmanuel Macron at Eurosatory 2022 defense exhibition — *^{French President Emmanuel Macron at Eurosatory 2022 international land and air defense and security exhibition. (Image Credit: Eurosatory/via Twitter)}*

Seventy-four Israeli firms were scheduled to participate in the event from June 17 to 21 at fairgrounds near Paris’ main international airport, with Coges previously indicating that about 10 of these firms were set to exhibit weapons.

The incident follows days after the Israeli bombing of a displaced persons camp in the Gaza Strip, which sparked international outrage and protests in France. According to local authorities, the air raids killed at least 45 people in the town of Rafah overnight from Sunday to Monday, nearly eight months into the ongoing Gaza war in the besieged Palestinian territory.

A member of Israel’s war cabinet, Benny Gantz, stated that he had discussed the issue with French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and requested that he reconsider the decision about banning Israeli defense firms from the event.

“I asked Attal for France to reconsider the decision to ban the Israeli delegation to the Eurosatory arms exhibition, which is unacceptable and is a reward for terrorism,” he wrote in a post on social media.

The annual event, Eurosatory, is one of the world’s largest defense fairs. This year, it is anticipated to feature over 1,700 firms showcasing their latest technologies and innovations in the defense sector.

Israeli stand at Eurosatory arms and defense industry exhibition — ^{Visitors stand at the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) booth at the Eurosatory international land and air defense and security trade fair, in Villepinte, a northern suburb of Paris, on June 13, 2022. (Image Credit: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP)}

The exhibition is expected to draw more than 60,000 attendees from 150 countries, including government officials, military personnel, industry professionals, and international media. The event provides a significant platform for networking, business development, and the exchange of ideas within the global defense community.