France bans Israeli participation at Paris defense expo, sparking outcry from Jerusalem

France has barred Israel from participating in this month’s Eurosatory defense exhibition in Paris, the Defense Ministry says, preventing Jerusalem from establishing a national pavilion or sending government representatives to the event.

According to the ministry, French authorities will only permit Israeli defense companies to display air defense systems, while prohibiting the exhibition of offensive weapon systems.

The ministry condemns the move as a “disgraceful decision” driven by “political and commercial calculation,” accusing France of applying discriminatory restrictions to Israel that are not imposed on other participating countries “in direct violation of the established norms governing international defense exhibitions.”

In a sharply worded statement, the Defense Ministry says France is “acting in direct contradiction to the principles it claims to uphold,” arguing that Israeli offensive systems have demonstrated their effectiveness against “terrorist organizations and regimes threatening not only Israel, but regional and global stability at large.”

The move comes amid growing tensions between Jerusalem and Paris. In April, the Defense Ministry halted all defense procurement from France in response to French measures that “harmed Israel’s security,” including prohibiting Israeli aircraft from using French airspace to assist with fighting Iran.

French authorities initially banned Israeli defense firms from exhibiting at the 2024 Eurosatory, before later reversing the decision. Organizers erected black partition walls around Israeli company exhibits displaying offensive weapons systems at the 2025 Paris Air Show.