France bans Israeli companies from defence show

Israel Aerospace Industries website inviting visitors to meet them at Eurosatory 2024

France has banned Israeli companies from exhibiting at the French Eurosatory defence exhibition to take place in the third week of June. The biannual defence exhibition takes place on the outskirts of Paris with defence companies from around the world displaying their equipment. Israeli defence companies have a regular presence at all the major defence exhibitions around the world.

France has placed the ban saying ‘conditions are no longer suited to welcome Israeli companies to the French show, in a context where the President is calling for Israeli operations in Rafah to stop.’ French President Emmanuel Macron has that he is “outraged by the Israeli strikes that have killed many displaced persons in Rafah,” adding, “These operations must stop. There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians. I call for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire.”

A growing number of countries have criticised the operations of the Israel Defense Forces in Rafah on the southern border of Gaza with Egypt, which was supposed to be a safe zone for civilian refugees seeking shelter from Israeli operations against Hamas. According to the U.N., Israel strikes killed 67 civilians sheltering in Rafah earlier this week, with hundreds of others suffering severe burn injuries.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden has announced a new ceasefire proposal between Hamas and Israel. President Biden’s proposal is for a three-stage peace plan beginning with a complete ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas in Gaza, release of some hostages, return of Palestinian civilian refugees to their homes and a surge in humanitarian aid. The second phase calls for a complete end to hostilities, exchange for the release of all the remaining living hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. The last phase proposes a major reconstruction plan for Gaza and the return of the remains of the last hostages. Hamas has said that it ‘looks positively at what was proposed by Biden.’

It is not clear if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has accepted the ceasefire plan, with his office saying, “The Prime Minister authorised the negotiating team to present a proposal to that end, which would also enable Israel to continue the war until all its objective are achieved, including the destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities.”

Netanyahu has also been invited to address a joint session of the U.S. Congress. The Israeli prime minister, along with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant were named in applications for arrest warrants requested by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, two weeks back. Since then, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled against Israel, ordering it to stop its operations in Rafah, following which Israel Defense Forces struck refugee camps earlier this week, killing 67 civilians. Netanyahu’s government has suffered a setback with Norway, Spain and Ireland recognising Palestinian statehood, earlier this week, with Slovenia set to follow.

Israel Aerospace Industries’ military equipment intended to be displayed at Eurosatory 2024

Seventy-four Israeli companies were supposed to exhibit at Eurosatory. A member of Israel’s war cabinet formed after the October 7th attacks and Netanyahu’s political rival Benny Gantz said, “I discussed with the Prime Minister further the French decision to forbid an Israeli delegation from participating in the Eurosatory Security Fair. I emphasized to him that the decision ultimately rewards terror, and asked that France re-consider the decision.”

Israeli stands were empty at the Dubai Airshow held last November, shortly after the October 7th attack by Hamas. But they were back on display at the Singapore Airshow held last February, where they unveiled the Elbit Hermes 650 drone.