France Blocks Israeli Defense Booths with Barriers at Paris Air Show

At the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, France, organizers erected large black partition walls around the booths of several Israeli defense companies, including Israel Aerospace Industries, Rafael, and Elbit Systems, effectively isolating them from other exhibitors. This action was taken after the companies refused to remove offensive weapons systems from their displays, which organizers said violated the show's rules prohibiting certain types of military technology, particularly offensive weapons linked to Israeli military operations in Gaza. The Israeli Defense Ministry condemned the move as discriminatory and politically motivated, accusing France of segregation and unfairly targeting Israeli companies despite allowing other nations like China and Turkey to exhibit without such restrictions. French officials stated that the decision was driven by the General Secretariat for Defense and National Security under the prime minister, emphasizing that exhibitors had been warned weeks in advance about the prohibited equipment. Israel criticized the timing and manner of the action—carried out overnight after booths were set up—and suggested that commercial competition with French defense industries was a significant factor behind the ban. The controversy unfolds amid heightened regional tensions, including Israel's conflict with Iran and ongoing military operations in Gaza, complicating diplomatic and commercial relations at the international aerospace event.