France bans Israeli defense companies from huge military expo

Paris frustrated that Israel is refusing to halt its military operation in Rafah.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

The French decided Friday to ban all Israeli defense companies from showing their newest wares at a huge military expo later this month near Paris.

“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,” the Defense Ministry stated in explanation.

The decision came several days after the IDF assassinated two Hamas commanders last week, and a fire broke out killing some 45 civilians, according to Hamas sources.

A subsequent IDF investigation showed that the munitions used in the airstrike were too small to have ignited the blaze, and it was most probably caused by a nearby, unknown Hamas munitions warehouse exploding, possibly from shrapnel hitting it.

Israel was vilified around the world for the accident, including protests in France and a statement by French President Emmanuel Macron that he was “outraged” by the strike, despite the fact that it had not targeted the civilians.

The Eurosatory 2024 fair, set for June 17-21, is one of the largest of its kind, featuring over 1,700 companies from around the world exhibiting their land weapons, defense systems, intelligence and security products.

Seventy-four Israeli companies had been set to attend, including those now making the latest technological advances due to experience gained in the current war in Gaza.

This is especially true of those involved in air-defense, which has played a crucial role since the beginning of the war in protecting Israeli civilians from Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthi missile attacks, as well as the unprecedented Iranian air assault on Israel in April.

Macron himself is protected by an anti-missile system developed by Israeli giant Elbit every time he uses his presidential airplane.

Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz said he had talked to French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal about rescinding the move.

“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 posted to X.

The France-Palestine Solidarity Association, which was one of several anti-Israel groups who had urged the expo’s organizers not to “reinforc[e] the economic power of firms likely to participate in…crimes” they allege Israel is committing in Gaza, declared the ban a “great victory” for its campaign, which includes a demand to end all arms sales to Israel.