France bans Israeli companies from major arms exhibition following Rafah attack – POLITICO

Earlier this week, European leaders – including Macron – condemned an Israeli airstrike on refugee tents in Rafah, which killed at least 46 Palestinians, including many children.

In total, at least 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in the eight months since October 7, when Israel launched a retaliatory attack on the Gaza Strip after Hamas militants killed around 1,200 people in Israel during a violent attack.

Paris’ decision to ban Israeli companies from Eurosatory, first reported by Agence France-Presse, is one of the most concrete steps taken by France to show its disapproval of the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s incessant war against the coastal enclave.

The arms fair will take place from June 17 to 21 in Villepinte, in the Paris region.

In 2022, more than 1,700 exhibitors came from 62 different countries, 62% of whom were foreigners. This year, around 2,000 companies registered in total at Eurosatory, including 74 from Israel, according to AFP.

For defense companies, it is a golden opportunity to showcase their latest innovations and pave the way for new contracts. The ban is intended to disadvantage Israeli defense contractors compared to their competitors (including French).

According to some reports, the French Ministry of Defense had already started a few weeks ago to make it more difficult for Israeli companies to register, in particular by requiring that weapons on display at the show obtain an import license granted in advance by the French authorities.