France Shuts Down Exhibition Spaces of Israeli Companies at Paris Air Show, Citing Prohibition on Exhibition of "Controversial Weapons" due to Gaza Conflict
A Staunch Showdown in Le Bourget
Le Bourget, France - The Paris Air Show kicked off this week on a tense note as French authorities barred Israeli weapons manufacturers from displaying their wares amidst the chaos in Iran and Gaza. Israel swiftly condemned this move as "deplorable."
The drama added an unexpected twist to an already complex event that was already cast in shadows after last week's tragic crash of Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Black barricades were erected around the stands of defense giants - Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Rafael, Uvision, Elbit, and Aeronautics - at the trade fair in Le Bourget. A violation of agreements with Israeli authorities, French authorities claimed that these companies were exhibiting weapons that could be potentially used in Gaza.
One Israeli exhibitor took to chalking a message on one of the walls, saying the hidden defense systems "are protecting the state of Israel these days. The French government, in the name of discrimination, is trying to hide them from you!"
French Prime Minister Defends Decision
Speaking at a press conference, French Prime Minister François Bayrou defended the decision saying, "The French government's position was very simple: no offensive weapons at the arms exposition. Defensive weapons were perfectly acceptable." Bayrou justified the move by referring to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
"Given France's diplomatic choices, in particular the concern, or in any case, very great worries about Gaza, we could not not show that there was a certain distance, which meant that we did not think it acceptable that offensive weapons were in a show like that," Bayrou explained. "And as these offensive weapons were not withdrawn [by the Israeli companies], we have temporarily, I hope, closed the stands."
At the last Paris Air Show in 2023, Israeli companies, including those affected by the closure on Monday, seem to have displayed offensive weapons, including laser-guided bombs, rockets, and attack drones[4].
Aviation news outlet Flight Global reported that, despite Bayrou's description of a ban on displays of offensive weapons, manufacturers from other countries were freely displaying a range of combat aircraft and munitions. This included a display by the French-owned company Dassault Aviation featuring a "French air force Rafale fighter surrounded by a range of strike munitions."
Israel's Displeasure and France's Firm Stand
Israeli President Isaac Herzog Pesah criticized the move, calling it "outrageous" and demanded that the situation be "immediately corrected."
"Israeli companies have signed contracts with the organizers... it's like creating an Israeli ghetto," he told French television channel LCI.
The Israeli defense ministry slammed the move, accusing France of making "politically-driven and commercial considerations."
"The French are hiding behind supposedly political considerations to exclude Israeli offensive weapons from an international exhibition - weapons that compete with French industries," the statement read. "This is particularly striking given Israeli technologies' impressive and precise performance in Iran."[3]
Israel launched a surprise attack on Iranian military and nuclear sites last Friday, killing top commanders and scientists, prompting a retaliatory missile barrage from Tehran[1].
Arkansas' Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders was at the Paris show on Monday and, speaking with reporters, she called the French officials' decision "pretty absurd." Her father, Mike Huckabee, is the U.S. Ambassador to Israel and a staunch advocate of Israel's operations in Gaza.
The presence of Israeli firms at Le Bourget, while smaller than in the past, was already a point of contention before the Paris Air Show, due to the conflict in Gaza. A French court last week rejected an attempt by NGOs to ban Israeli companies from Le Bourget, citing concerns about "international crimes."[2]
Local lawmakers from the Seine-Saint-Denis department hosting the event were absent during Bayrou's visit to the opening of the air show to protest the Israeli presence. "Never has the world been so disrupted and destabilized," Bayrou said at a roundtable event earlier, urging nations to confront challenges "together, not against each other."[4]
Meanwhile, Boeing, focusing on support and not sales after the Air India crash, remained a muted presence at the show[4].
- In response to Israel's criticism, French Prime Minister François Bayrou stated that the ban on offensive weapons at the Paris Air Show was a response to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, thereby implying a connection between the law (the ban) and crime (Gaza conflict).
- While other countries were freely displaying combat aircraft and munitions, Israeli companies were barred from showcasing offensive weapons at the Paris Air Show, leading to a controversy that can be categorized as general news, as it involves politics, war-and-conflicts, and news.
- In a curious turn of events, Israeli defense systems, which the Israeli exhibitor claimed were protecting the state of Israel, were hidden from display at the Paris Air Show due to political considerations, highlighting a complex interplay of crime, law, and politics.
