French court overturns ban of Israeli companies at defense trade fair
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In mid-October, France banned Israeli companies from participating in the upcoming Euronaval trade show, which is set to take place from November 4 to 7. Now a court has overturned that decision.
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French President Emmanuel Macron visits a stand at the Euronaval defense exhibition in Le Bourget near Paris, France on October 23, 2018. (AFP)
According to an AFP report, a Paris commercial court ruled on Wednesday that the French government's decision to exclude Israeli businesses from putting up exhibits or showcasing gear at the Euronaval defense trade expo was invalid.
The court ordered the organizers "to suspend the execution of the measures adopted against the Israeli exhibiting companies whose stands were prohibited at the Euronaval 2024 exhibition until the exhibition's closing date," according to the verdict.
In mid-October, France banned Israeli companies from participating in the upcoming Euronaval trade show, which is set to take place from November 4 to 7.
This ban was 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.
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 that Netanyahu should not "ignore United Nations decisions" because "his country was created by a U.N. decision," remarks that prompted outrage from Netanyahu.
Pro-Palestine NGO accuses France of complicity in Gaza genocide
It was reported on October 19 that pro-Palestine NGO Europalestine sent the International Court of Justice (ICJ) a 27-page report explaining France's complicity through its diplomatic, military, and economic support of the Israeli occupation since October 2023, according to co-founder Olivia Zemor.
Throughout multiple occasions and demonstrations, the organization even accused France of encouraging the Israeli genocide in Gaza.
Co-founder Nicholas Shahshahani brought forth evidence to support Europalestine's report, providing the example of President Emmanuel Macron advocating for an international military coalition to fight the Palestinian Resistance following Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
Moreover, the French government has consistently confirmed that French citizens serving in the Israeli occupation forces will not be prosecuted for fighting in Gaza and Lebanon, where "war crimes were possibly committed."
Macron recently denied that France was supplying "Israel" with weapons used in Gaza, however, Europalestine and other associations have continued slamming the government and the West for their inaction and negligence toward stopping the war on Gaza, despite the United Nations Security Council demanding an immediate ceasefire.
French politics have become clearly divided and focused on the genocide in Gaza, with the left wing echoing slogans and demands heavily present in pro-Palestine rallies and using them to defeat Macron and his governmental coalition.
In this context, Shahshahani said, "The Palestine question is a world question. It's universal, and it makes sense that some political parties, La France Insoumise of Mélenchon, for instance, insist wherever they can, that means, including inside the French Parliament, to defend the rights of the Palestinian people."
The left opposition party has been regularly using the word "genocide" to describe the Israeli massacres against Palestinians in the Strip.
