French Restrictions on Israeli Participation at Major Defense Expo
JERUSALEM — French authorities have imposed limitations on Israeli officials and defense companies at Europe’s largest defense exhibition, preventing the establishment of an Israeli national pavilion and the display of offensive weaponry, according to statements from the event organizers and Israel’s Ministry of Defense.
As per a decision by the French government, Israeli participants at the Eurosatory defense event scheduled for June 15-19 in Paris will be restricted to displaying products solely related to air, missile, and ballistic missile defense, shared Coges Events via an emailed statement. This specific restriction is applicable only to the Israeli exhibitors.
In recent times, Israeli defense entities have encountered similar restrictions at key European defense exhibitions, especially in France. Notably, Israeli defense firms were previously barred from the 2024 Eurosatory event, a decision which was later reversed by a court ruling. Additionally, several Israeli stands were shut down at the 2025 Paris Air Show.
The Israeli Ministry of Defense criticized these actions on Monday, labeling them as “selective and discriminatory” compared to other nations participating in these international events, and claimed that they breach the standard norms of international defense exhibitions.
Other instances include the United Kingdom excluding official Israeli government and military groups from the 2025 DSEI UK defense show, although allowing companies to exhibit independently, and the exclusion of Israeli firms from the Dutch NEDS 2025 exhibition.
The backdrop of these restrictions involves deteriorating relations between Paris and Jerusalem, largely due to Israeli military activities in Lebanon. This prompted France to convene an urgent United Nations Security Council meeting on Monday to discuss the increasing hostilities. France’s decision to ban Israelis from the 2024 Eurosatory was justified by citing Israeli military operations in Gaza.
Coges Events reiterated that Eurosatory adheres strictly to the rules and decisions set by the French authorities.
According to Israel’s Ministry of Defense, France’s exclusion of Israeli offensive systems from the forum is masked by political pretexts, suggesting that the decisions are driven by political and commercial motives.
Despite these limitations, Israeli defense companies continue to participate in French exhibitions. Some businesses scheduled to appear at Eurosatory 2026 informed Defense News that they were not aware of any changes to the policy and planned to proceed as originally intended.
This recent development marks the fourth instance in two years where France has attempted to limit Israeli defense involvement, starting with the initial ban at Eurosatory 2024, which was later overturned in court. Similarly, a prohibition at the Euronaval exhibition that year was also reversed by legal action.
In reaction to what it perceives as a continuous pattern of restrictive French policies, Israel’s Ministry of Defense halted all defense procurements from France in April 2026. This decision was influenced by France’s alleged refusal to permit flights carrying U.S. weaponry to Israel to pass through French airspace during the conflict with Iran.
Eurosatory 2026, held biennially at the Villepinte Exhibition Centre just north of Paris, is a significant international defense exhibition that draws approximately 2,000 exhibitors from 61 countries and includes official delegations from 92 nations, according to the latest data from the event.
Reporting from Paris by Ruitenberg.
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Jamal Peterson reports on defense, aerospace, and tech policy. With a military background and a strategic mind, he dissects complex subjects with clarity, offering readers sharp, reliable insights.
