French authorities closed Elbit, Rafael, IAI and Uvision booths after exhibitors refused to remove offensive weapons. Israeli firms call the move political.
Four major Israeli defence companies—Elbit Systems, Rafael, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), and Uvision—had their stands shut down at the Paris Airshow after reportedly refusing a French order to remove certain weapon systems from display.
Reuters reported that the directive originated from a French security agency, which requested the removal of offensive or kinetic weapons. Israel’s Ministry of Defence declined to comply. In response, exhibition organisers installed a black partition separating the Israeli pavilion from the rest of the fair.
Three smaller Israeli booths that did not feature hardware and one official Ministry of Defence stand remain open.
Meshar Sasson, Senior Vice President at Elbit Systems, accused France of attempting to suppress competition. “If you cannot beat them in technology, just hide them, right? That’s what it is because there’s no other explanation,” he told Reuters.
Rafael called the decision “unprecedented, unjustified, and politically motivated.”
This is not the first exhibition-related dispute between France and Israel. In June 2024, Israeli firms were banned at the last minute from attending the Eurosatory defence fair following a court ruling. Later, at the Euronaval expo in November 2024, Israeli booths remained largely unattended as other participants distanced themselves.
Author: Özgür Ekşi
