A dozenIsraelicompany stands were shut down Monday at a major international defence and security exhibition held outside Paris, sparking outrage from authorities in Israel.
Tensions have persisted in French-Israeli relations, with France recognising Palestinian statehood last year and two far-right Israeli ministers banned from entering the country in recent weeks.
The stands at the Eurosatory arms and security trade show were “closed due to non-compliance with participation conditions set by the French authorities,” the organiser, Coges Events, said in a statement to AFP.
It said it was required to enforce decisions of the French authorities.
“As a result, 12 booths had to be closed,” Charles Beaudouin, head ofCogesEvents, said in the statement.
France has banned the display of Israeli offensive weapons at the 2026 edition of the exhibition and restricted the display of Israeli companies “to equipment and products exclusively related to air defence and ballistic missile defence capabilities”, he said.
The Israeli defence ministry argued the Israeli pavilions were boarded up “despite these companies having met the French government’s outrageous demands”.
The ministry accused France of trying “to conceal Israeli technological superiority from the world”.
While the booths of three major Israeli defence contractors including Israel Aerospace Industries and Rafael remained open on Monday, none displayed weapon models in public view, unlike exhibitors from other countries, an AFP journalist saw.
Israel’s ambassador to France called the French authorities’ treatment of Israeli companies unacceptable.
Source: Insider Paper
