The Western countries are in a paradoxical position over their support for Israel. The US President Donald Trump can not seem to make up his mind whether he was unaware of the Israeli plan to attack Iranian nuclear sites, or he knew it all along.
Similarly, France has defended Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, has supported Israel’s right to self-defense, and yet the French authorities sealed off Israeli weapons industry booths at the Paris Air Show on its opening day on June 16.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that the French forces will participate in operations to help Israel defend itself against Iranian retaliation to the extent they’re able.
“Depending on its assets and if it’s in a position to do so, France would help in operations to defend and protect Israel” against Iranian reprisals, Macron said at a news conference, adding that he had made it clear that French help is available for defense, but that France wouldn’t participate in offensive actions as part of the conflict.
France’s decision to seal off Israeli weapons industry booths at the Paris Air Show was condemned as “outrageous” by Israel.
The decision added drama to the major aerospace industry event, which was already under the shadow of last week’s deadly crash of Air India’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Israeli Arms Booths Replaced By Black Walls
Black walls were installed around the stands of five Israeli defense firms at the trade fair in Le Bourget, an airfield on the outskirts of Paris.
The booths displayed “offensive weapons” that could be used in Gaza — in violation of agreements with Israeli authorities, a French government source was quoted as saying by the French news agency AFP.
However, what is curious is that the French government has not given its exact definition of “offensive” weapons.
Especially in a war situation, the artificial demarcation that France wants to draw between offensive and defensive weapons is laughable, to say the least.
The companies, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Rafael, Uvision, Elbit, and Aeronautics, manufacture drones, guided bombs, and missiles.
An Israeli exhibitor wrote a message in yellow chalk on one of the walls, saying the hidden defense systems “are protecting the state of Israel these days. The French government, in the name of discrimination, is trying to hide them from you!”
Meanwhile, French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou defended the decision during a press conference at the air show.
“The French government’s position was very simple: no offensive weapons at the arms exposition,” he said. “Defensive weapons were perfectly acceptable.”
France’s Tight Diplomatic Ropewalk
France has Europe’s highest Muslim population, both in terms of percentage and in absolute numbers as well.
According to a 2016 Pew Research survey, France has a nearly 8.8% Muslim population, which is one of the highest in Europe, only behind Bulgaria’s 11.10 %. According to different estimates, France is home to between 6 to 9 million Muslims, making it one of the biggest Muslim minority populations in Europe.
The country has also seen frequent anti-semitic attacks, often perpetrated by Muslims.
According to a recent survey by French publication La Tribune Dimanche, 45% of French Muslims consider the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas as an act of “resistance.”
Israel’s 20-month-long war in Gaza has sharply divided public opinion in France, especially in the significant Muslim minority population. Meanwhile, Israel’s war with Iran has further intensified anti-Israel sentiments among a certain section of society. Notably, France has a significant Iranian diaspora.
Balancing these conflicting sentiments at home is a challenging task for the French administration, which perhaps explains France’s paradoxical positions on Israel and its artificial demarcation between offensive and defensive weapons.
Prime Minister Bayrou cited the ongoing conflict in Gaza as the rationale behind the ban.
“Given the situation in Gaza… which is extremely serious from a humanitarian and security point of view, France was keen to make it clear that offensive weapons should not be present at this exposition,” Bayrou said.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog stated that he was shocked by the “outrageous” closure of the pavilions and emphasized that the situation should be “immediately corrected.”
“Israeli companies have signed contracts with the organisers… It’s like creating an Israeli ghetto,” he said on French television channel LCI.
The presence of Israeli firms at Le Bourget, though smaller than in the past, was already a source of tension before the start of the Paris Air Show, because of the conflict in Gaza. The war in Iran exacerbated the situation.
A French court last week rejected a bid by NGOs to ban Israeli companies from Le Bourget over concerns about “international crimes”.
Amir Baram, a general in the Israeli defense ministry, called the French decision “anti-Semitic”, adding Israel would challenge the move in French courts.
The show’s organisers said that a dialogue was underway “to find a positive resolution”.
France’s Decision Inspired By Commercial Considerations?
The Israeli Defense Ministry said in a statement that the “outrageous and unprecedented decision reeks of policy-driven and commercial considerations.”
“The French are hiding behind supposedly political considerations to exclude Israeli offensive weapons from an international exhibition — weapons that compete with French industries,” it said.
“This is particularly striking given Israeli technologies’ impressive and precise performance in Iran.”
Israel launched surprise strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites on Friday, killing top commanders and scientists, prompting Tehran to hit back with a barrage of missiles.
France’s Repeated Blocking Of Israeli Defense Firms
Notably, this isn’t the first time France has blocked Israeli defense firms from defense exhibitions in the last year, citing the war situation in Gaza.
In June last year, the French government banned Israeli companies from participating in Eurosatory 2024, citing Israel’s military operations in Rafah, Gaza, as the reason. Initially, 74 Israeli firms were set to participate.
Similarly, the French government initially barred seven Israeli firms from exhibiting at Euronaval 2024, again due to geopolitical concerns over Israel’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon. However, the Paris Commercial Court overturned this ban on October 31, 2024, allowing Israeli companies to participate.
Rising Demand For Israeli Arms In Europe
Paradoxically, despite the blocking of Israeli defense firms from these European defense exhibitions, Israeli arms exports to Europe have nearly doubled in the last year.
Europe is an important market for Israeli weapons. According to the Israeli Defense Ministry, Europe was the biggest market for Israeli weapons in 2024, accounting for as much as 54% of Israel’s defense exports. In 2023, Europe accounted for 35% of Israeli arms exports.
In 2024, European states bought nearly US$8 billion worth of Israeli military products, compared to US$4.6 billion in 2023, according to the Ministry of Defense.
Israel’s historic deal with Germany for the Arrow 3 air defense system contributed a major chunk of these arms sales. The Israel Aerospace Industries signed a US$3.8 billion agreement with Germany for the Arrow 3 missile defense system, marking the largest defense deal in Israeli history.
Notably, Israel is the second-largest arms exporter to the UK and Germany. According to SIPRI, during the period from 2020 to 2024, Israel supplied 13% of Germany’s arms imports and nearly 7% of the UK’s arms imports.
- With inputs from AFP.
- Sumit Ahlawat has over a decade of experience in news media. He has worked with Press Trust of India, Times Now, Zee News, Economic Times, and Microsoft News. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Media and Modern History from the University of Sheffield, UK.
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- He can be reached at ahlawat.sumit85 (at) gmail.com
