France bans Israeli arms manufacturers from Paris Air Show

France has banned four Israeli arms manufacturers from the Paris Air Show, escalating diplomatic tensions over the Gaza conflict and leading to accusations of discrimination.

This decision marks the latest sign of escalating tensions between the two countries over Israel’s occupation and blockade of Gaza.

The booths of Elbit Systems, Rafael, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), and Uvision were blocked off with black barriers on Monday after they refused to comply with the French government’s directive not to display offensive weapons.

In a statement, the Israeli Ministry of Defense declared, “This outrageous and unprecedented decision is the product of political and commercial concerns,” accusing France of trying to remove “weapons that are competitors to French industry” from the show.

“This decision was made at a time when Israel is fighting a necessary and just war to eliminate the nuclear and ballistic threat that endangers the Middle East, Europe, and the entire world,” the statement continued.

Diplomatic relations between Israel and France have deteriorated in recent months as French President Emmanuel Macron has intensified his criticism of the ongoing war in Gaza.

Macron is also spearheading an international initiative for the recognition of a Palestinian state, a move that Israel’s right-wing government is determined to block. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned this initiative.

On the other hand, Macron has supported Israel’s right to defend itself against Iran’s nuclear threat, endorsing its actions against Iran.

According to French officials, the French government repeatedly communicated the ground rules to Israel over the past few weeks. Four of the nine Israeli companies participating in the Paris Air Show complied with the order not to display offensive weapons, and their booths remained open. The Israeli Ministry of Defense’s booths were also open on Monday.

A French official stated that the Israeli companies, which design and manufacture everything from unmanned aerial vehicles and air defense systems to missiles and aircraft, would be allowed to reopen their exhibits if they made the required changes.

IAI’s CEO, Boaz Levy, said the company tried to negotiate with the organizers but found its booth “closed off by black walls built overnight” on Monday morning.

“This kind of behavior is unacceptable and discriminates against us as Israelis and Jews, as all other participants in this air show were not subjected to these restrictions,” Levy added.

This is not the first time France and Israel have clashed over aviation and defense exhibitions since the Al-Aqsa Flood operation on October 7, 2023. After the French government decided that Israeli companies should not exhibit offensive weapons, dozens of Israeli firms were excluded from the Eurosatory exhibition in June 2024 and the Euronaval exhibition in November 2024.

The air show’s organizers announced that discussions are ongoing with various parties to “find a suitable solution to the situation.”

SIAE, a subsidiary of the French Aerospace Industries Association which organizes the event, stated that it had complied with “the instruction of the relevant French authorities to remove certain equipment exhibited at the Israeli stands” before the event.

SIAE added that the companies in question “still received permission to exhibit at the show.”