France canceled the participation of Israeli defense companies in the Eurostory 2024 arms exhibition, which was to be held in Paris in June.
The company organizing the fair announced today (Friday): “By the decision of the government authorities, there will be no stands of the Israeli military industries at Eurostory 2024.” The French news agency AFP reported that at least 74 Israeli companies were supposed to participate in the exhibition.
According to the statement of the French Ministry of Defense, “the conditions for accepting Israeli companies in the French exhibition are no longer met, concerning the call of President Emmanuel Macron, to stop the Israeli activity in Rafah. According to the statements of the President, it is urgent to obtain a ceasefire that will guarantee the protection of the populations in Gaza, the release of all hostages, and full access to humanitarian aid.”
The French decision joins another—by Chile—that decided to ban Israeli participation in the FIDAE 2024 air defense exhibition that focuses on Latin America. Among the companies that were going to present at this exhibition were Elbit Systems, Rafael, and the Aerospace Industry.
The exhibition in France is being held against the background of the ongoing fighting between Russia and Ukraine and the war in the Middle East, centered on Israel, which is simultaneously dealing with a large number of arenas.
These arenas dragged the world into the most significant arms race since the days of the Cold War between the superpowers. At Eurostory, like other exhibitions of this magnitude, will be attended by guests at the level of heads of state, army commanders, and procurement officials who wish to be exposed to combat systems and modern military technologies.
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This is an important marketing event for the Israeli industries and an opportunity to initiate future arms deals.
Officials at the Ministry of Defense in Israel said that the issue is under review, and an official notification has not yet been received from the exhibition’s management. “If this is true, it is probably a directive from above – and it is a very serious thing,” said a source in the defense industries to Ynet. The Israeli Embassy in France is reviewing the directive.
