France Slams Doors to Israeli Companies at Eurosatory

France takes action against Israel on Eurosatory expo as Netanyahu government does not respond to President Macron's demand to end military operation in Rafah. The French government has decided to prohibit Israeli companies from attending Eurosatory, a security and defence event taking place in Paris from June 17 to June 21. The organising company, Coges Events, a subsidiary of the French Land Defence and Security Industry Association (GICAT), did not provide a reason for the decision, but the French Ministry of Armed Forces stated that it was due to Israel's failure to respond to President Emmanuel Macron's call to end its military operation in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. According to the AFP news agency, 74 Israeli companies registered for the French exhibition, including ten exhibiting weapons. Israeli Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries, Rafael, Elta, Aeronautics, Gilat Satellite Networks, Marom Dolphin, Plasan Sasa, and SIBAT, the International Defence Cooperation Directorate of the Israeli Ministry of Defence, were among the exhibitors. "Le Monde" reports that various organisations approached the event organisers last week demanding that they prevent Israeli companies from exhibiting, which they said would encourage the purchase and sale of "weaponry that could be used in crimes in the Gaza Strip and occupied Palestinian territories." This marks a new level in the exclusion of Israeli companies from exhibitions. In March, Chile's anti-Israel government, led by President Gabriel Boric, declared that Israel would be forbidden from attending the FIDAE 2024 air show, which takes place in April and is immensely important in Latin America. This year, 420 exhibitors from 47 nations participated, including industry giants such as Boeing, Airbus, and BAE. According to local health officials, more than 36,240 Palestinians have been murdered in Gaza; the vast majority of them are women and children, and more than 81,777 have been injured. Western countries have introduced this approach first to Russia, which attacked Ukraine.