A French court on Tuesday dismissed a petition filed by Israeli defense companies against the French government prohibiting the exhibition of offensive weapons in their pavilions at the Paris Air Show. According to French media reports, the court ruled that it had no authority to intervene with the French government’s decision, which is the reason why the exhibition organizers blocked access to some pavilions with black boarding.
The move, which was made on the night before the Air Show opened earlier this week, caused a stir in Israel and led to open accusations from Israel’s Ministry of Defense about anti-Semitic motives behind the move, as well as an attempt to hand an advantage to French defense companies. The director general of Israel’s Ministry of Defense directly accused France’s President Emmanuel Macron of promoting French military products. The decision means that the walls blocking the Israeli stands will remain in place until the end of the Paris Air Show at the end of the week.
French sources have claimed in recent days that the Israelis had violated prior agreements and “insisted” on exhibiting offensive weapons despite being asked in advance not to do so, and despite what the French said was “consent from the Israeli embassy in Paris” to the move. The embassy rejected the claim that it had agreed that Israel would not exhibit offensive weapons, in contrast to firms from other countries such as Turkey or India.
France’s Foreign Ministry said, “We do not export to Israel weapons that could be used in Gaza, and we cannot accept that such weapons be promoted on French soil.” Israel’s Ministry of Defense said that this demand was made “at the last minute,” ten days before the opening of the exhibition, and that it was “unacceptable” that Israeli defense companies would be disadvantaged. France stressed that they had blocked access “only” to five Israeli companies: Elbit, Rafael, Israel Aerospace Industries, UVision, and Aeronautics.
“If these five companies act in accordance with the established guidelines, they will be able to return to exhibit,” a source at the Elysee Palace told the media. “It is now up to them to decide whether they want to exhibit at the Bourges, like the companies that follow the guidelines.” Rafael announced that it intends to sue the exhibition organizers for the expenses it incurred without being able to exhibit. All Israeli defense companies rushed to send representatives from around the world to staff the pavilions after the outbreak of the war with Iran, because the representatives from Israel were unable to fly abroad. A Rafael representative told the media that the damage to the company amounted to “tens of millions of euros.”
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Sources at Israeli defense companies told “Globes,” “The French did us an excellent service.” According to them, the media and local attention during the important two days of the air show “put Israeli defense products at the center of things.” According to them, meetings scheduled during the event took place in any case near the pavilions. Elbit told “Globes” that its pavilion – despite being blocked – “attracted customers, company representatives and government representatives.”
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on June 18, 2025.
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2025.
