Slim Knesset majority means Ya’alon may skip Paris defense expo

Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon has been forced to cancel a trip to a major international arms exposition in France in order to be present in the Knesset for crucial votes, according to a Wednesday report.

The nixed trip to the Paris Air Show, an important bi-annual defense exposition, appears to be the first major casualty of Benjamin Netanyahu’s razor-thin majority government, which was sworn in last month.

There was no immediate word from the Defense Ministry following the Army Radio report on the cancellation.

Israel, a dominant exporter of UAVs and a world power in military technologies, has been a major player at past Paris Air Shows. The country usually maintains a large exhibit pavilion and Israeli defense ministers traditionally travel there.

It’s not clear how Ya’alon’s absence will affect Israel’s delegation to the gathering.

Gender Equality Minister Gila Gamliel was also forced to cancel a planned trip, to the US, following a recent directive by the prime minister to cabinet members to not leave the country for the time being.

The stop-travel order seems designed to ensure the stability of Netanyahu’s coalition, which currently maintains the slimmest of margins with just 61 Knesset seats to the opposition’s 59.

The small margin means Netanyahu constantly needs all hands on deck to push through parliamentary measures.

Since being sworn in, the prime minister has thus far survived two no-confidence motions aimed at toppling his government.

The Paris Air Show is the oldest and largest of its kind in the world. Held at Le Bourget Airport in north Paris, the 2015 show is scheduled to run June 15-21 and will feature exhibits from over 2,000 companies.