The French government has asked the organizers of the Euronaval defense exhibition, which is being held near Paris in November, not to host Israeli stands or equipment developed by Israeli companies.
Israel will not be present at Euronaval, the naval defense exhibition which takes place from November 4 to 7 at the Paris-Nord Villepinte exhibition center. This exclusion was decided at the request of the French government, the organizers announced this Wednesday in a press release.
This international event will therefore not host the stands of Israeli companies, but neither will the equipment or technologies that could be exhibited on other stands.
“Seven Israeli companies are affected by this decision,” the statement said.
“The French government informed Euronaval on Tuesday October 15 of its decision to validate the participation of Israeli delegations in the Euronaval 2024 exhibition, without stands or exhibition of equipment,” the organization of the exhibition said in a press release.
“In accordance with the decision of the French government, companies and Israeli nationals who wish to do so will be welcomed at the show according to the above-mentioned terms,” according to the same source.
“With or without France”
“Euronaval is preparing to welcome each company and each visitor in compliance with international and government directives.” For this 29th edition, the show welcomes nearly 500 companies this year and 22,000 visits are expected.
At the end of May, the presence of Israeli defense industrialists at the Eurosatory defense and land security exhibition was canceled by government decision against a backdrop of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, before finally being authorized by the courts.
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The decision concerning Euronaval comes as the tone has risen in recent days between French President Emmanuel Macron and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at a time when Israel continues its operations in Gaza, a year after the deadly attack by the Palestinian group in Israel , and against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Israeli Defense Minister Gallant said on Wednesday that France’s decision towards Israeli companies at the Euronaval trade show constituted a “disgrace”.
We will continue to defend our nation against enemies on seven different fronts and fight for our future – with or without France,” he said on X.
“The decision to discriminate a second time against the Israeli defense industry in France helps Israel’s enemies in times of war,” he added, believing that the French state “ has adopted and is implementing a hostile policy toward Israel.
Paris is insistently calling for a ceasefire in both Gaza and Lebanon. And denounces the Israeli strikes in both cases, as well as the Israeli fire deemed “deliberate” against positions of the peacekeepers of the UN peace force in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL), several of whom were injured.
