France shuts out Israeli firms from prestigious naval show
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The decision marks the second instance in recent months where Israeli security firms have been excluded from an arms exhibition in France.
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Eurosatory, a global event for Defence & Security professionals. (Eurosatory official)
France has decided to prohibit Israeli companies from participating in the upcoming Euronaval trade show, which is set to take place from November 4 to 7.
While Israeli delegations will be allowed to attend, they will not be able to showcase their military equipment at booths, according to a source familiar with the situation who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.
This ban is the latest diplomatic clash between French President Emmanuel Macron and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, coinciding with the Israeli genocide in Gaza and brutal aggression on Lebanon.
The decision, made on Tuesday and first reported by The Wall Street Journal, marks the second instance in recent months where Israeli security firms have been excluded from an arms exhibition in France. In June, they were barred from Eurosatory, one of the largest land armament fairs, although a court later overturned that decision, it was too late for the Israeli firms to participate.
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Euronaval is among Europe's largest trade shows focused on naval warfare, featuring companies like BAE Systems, Naval Group, Fincantieri, and KNDS. The event's website indicated that seven Israeli defense contractors, including prominent names like Rafael, Elbit Systems, and Israel Aerospace Industries, were scheduled to present their products.
Recently, French President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly urged nations to halt weapon deliveries to "Israel" if those arms are utilized in Gaza and Lebanon. He also stated privately on Tuesday that Netanyahu should not "ignore United Nations decisions" because "his country was created by a U.N. decision," remarks that prompted outrage from Netanyahu.
Spain's Sanchez calls on EU to suspend 'Israel' free trade agreement
On Monday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called on fellow European Union members to support Madrid and Ireland's request to suspend the bloc's free trade agreement with "Israel" due to its actions in Gaza and Lebanon.
Spain and Ireland have been engaging in discussions with other EU nations for months, pushing for a review of the EU-"Israel" Association Agreement, citing potential violations of the agreement's human rights clause by "Israel".
Spain's PM Sanchez calls for halting arms sales to 'Israel'
Sanchez called on the international community two days ago to halt arms sales to "Israel".
"Given the current events in the Middle East, it is urgent that the international community cease arms exports to the Israeli government," Sanchez stated after meeting with Pope Francis in Rome.
He further expressed his disapproval, saying, "I want to criticize and condemn the attacks by the Israeli armed forces on the United Nations mission in Lebanon."
It is worth noting that "Israel's" primary weapons supplier remains the United States, followed by Germany.
