The French government has decided to bar Israeli companies from participating in the prestigious security and defense event Eurosatory, due to be held in Paris from June 17 to June 21. The organizing company, Coges Events, a subsidiary of GICAT (French Land Defense and Security Industry Association), did not give a reason for the decision, but the French Ministry of Armed Forces stated that it stemmed from the fact that Israel had not responded to the demand by President Emmanuel Macron to end its military operation in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.
According to a report by the AFP news agency, 74 Israel companies registered for the French event, of which ten were to have exhibited weaponry. On the event site, the long list of Israeli companies that intended to participate is still displayed. Among them are Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries, Rafael, Elta, Aeronautics, Gilat Satellite Networks, Marom Dolphin, Plasan Sasa, and SIBAT, the International Defense Cooperation Directorate of the Israeli Ministry of Defense.
Israel is aware that the government authorities in France have issued a press release on Macron’ decision, and is waiting for official notification from the event organizers. The development that apparently led to the Israeli companies being bared was apparently the deaths of 45 people in an Israeli air strike on Rafah last Monday night.
"Le Monde" reports that various organizations approached the event organizers last week demanding that they should prevent Israeli companies from exhibiting, which they said would encourage the purchase and sale of "weaponry that could be used in crimes in the Gaza Strip and in occupied Palestinian territories." Coges said in response to AFP that Eurosatory was "an exhibition purely for the display of security and defense equipment… and in no way a venue for deals."
This represents a new level in the barring of Israeli companies from exhibitions. In March, the anti-Israel government of Chile, headed by President Gabriel Boric, announced that Israel would be barred from the FIDAE 2024 air show which took place in April, and which is extremely important in Latin America. 420 exhibitors from 47 countries took part this year, including giants like Boeing, Airbus, and BAE.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on June 2, 2024.
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