Paris, Oct 17 (FN Agency) France has banned Israeli defence contractors from participating in the Euronaval military equipment exhibition scheduled for November 4-7, Politico reported on Wednesday, citing a source with firsthand knowledge of the matter. In June, a court in Bobigny, a suburb north of Paris, banned Israeli companies from the Eurosatory military exhibition following a request from the France-Palestine Solidarity Association. Earlier, the French Defence Ministry also approached Coges, the organiser of Eurosatory, to ban Israeli military companies from participating in the exhibition because of their suspected involvement in war crimes in the Gaza Strip. Coges removed the Israeli stand, which was expected to host 74 military companies. The Israeli delegations will have an opportunity to attend the exposition, however, the Israeli contractors will be banned from showcasing their military equipment, the source told the newspaper.
Commenting on Paris’ move on Wednesday, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant accused the French authorities of conducting a “hostile policy” towards the Jewish state. “French President [Emmanuel] Macron’s actions are a disgrace to the French nation and the values of the free world, which he claims to uphold. The decision to discriminate against Israeli defense industries in France a second time – aids Israel’s enemies during war. This builds on the decision to place an arms embargo on the Jewish State,” Gallant wrote on X. Relations between the two countries became tense following Macron’s Friday statement that the “only lever” to stop hostilities in the Middle East was to deprive Israel of weapon supplies, which it uses to continue fighting in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.