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France has imposed fresh restrictions on Israeli defence companies participating in a major naval arms exhibition in Paris, while continuing to bar Israeli government representatives.
Israeli firms will be allowed to display air defence and missile interception technology at next week’s biennial Euronaval exhibition, but not offensive weapons. The measures affect major companies expected to attend, including Israel Aerospace Industries, Rafael, Elbit Systems and Israel Shipyards.
Since the outbreak of the war on October 7 2023, French authorities have repeatedly restricted Israeli companies’ participation in major arms exhibitions. At the Eurosatory defence exhibition in June, they ordered Israeli weapons classified as offensive to be concealed behind black walls.
At the previous Euronaval exhibition, Israeli companies were initially barred altogether, before successfully challenging the decision in a Paris court. However, the ruling came so close to the exhibition’s opening that the companies didn't have enough time to prepare their displays.
Euronaval’s general commissioner, Guillaume Merveilleux du Vignaux, said: “We were very recently informed of a decision by the French government to authorise Israeli exhibitors within a very clearly defined and restrictive framework, limited to the exhibition of equipment dedicated exclusively to anti-aircraft, anti-missile and anti-ballistic defence.”
He added: “The Israeli government or its representatives will not participate in the exhibition … There are a small half-dozen Israeli exhibitors who have registered.”
Israel’s defence industry has reported record exports and growing order books since the Hamas attacks of October 7 2023, amid heightened global demand for air defence, missile interception and battlefield technologies.
Elbit Systems is due to present its unmanned underwater capabilities at Euronaval for the first time, highlighting Israeli firms’ efforts to expand their international customer base despite political obstacles.
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