“Even if we displayed flowers, Israeli missiles would still be in demand”
Israeli defense companies are refusing to abandon major French arms exhibitions despite restrictions on their weapons displays. At Euronaval, they have been told to showcase only defensive systems.
As with other international arms exhibitions hosted by France over the past three years, Israeli defense companies participating in Euronaval, the naval defense exhibition opening Tuesday in Paris, are subject to stricter oversight than their international competitors. They are permitted to display only defensive systems.
More than 700 companies from approximately 40 countries are presenting combat systems and other developments designed for the maritime domain. Six Israeli firms, including Orbit, Elbit, Rafael and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), have chosen to participate despite the restrictions. However, many of their weapons systems will remain out of sight.
Last week, as they prepared their pavilions at the exhibition venue in Paris, Israeli companies were instructed to keep their offensive weapons in storage and limit their displays to defensive systems. The restrictions come amid growing demand for naval systems, driven by crises in the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, as well as naval engagements between Russia and Ukraine. According to a report by the French maritime industries association, the value of naval warfare deals in 2024-2025 rose 47% compared with the preceding two years, reaching approximately $124 billion.
By Monday, it had become clear that the exhibition organizers intended to enforce the restrictions imposed by the French government. The rules also apply to videos showing the offensive capabilities of Israeli systems. Before the exhibition opened, organizers visited the various pavilions, reviewed their video content and censored footage featuring offensive weapons.
Similar restrictions were imposed on Israeli companies at Eurosatory, the land-defense exhibition held in France this past June. The requirement to remove offensive weapons left many Israeli pavilions with little to display. The French government deemed that insufficient: on the morning the exhibition opened, access to the Israeli pavilions was blocked by wooden panels.
The war in Gaza has strained relations between Israel and France, turning arms exhibitions in Paris into a recurring flashpoint between the two countries. While the French government says it supports Israel's right to self-defense, it refuses to provide a platform on French soil for weapons that could be used by Israel in Gaza. It remains to be seen how the confrontation will unfold during Euronaval.
Meanwhile, Israeli companies' participation in a far more significant event, the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget next summer, has also been cast into doubt. In recent days, defense firms have received messages saying that "space has run out" and that they will therefore be unable to display their aerial systems at the prestigious exhibition. "It's a pathetic excuse," the CEO of a major defense company told Calcalist. "They are trying to restrict us in every possible way, and now they are attempting to ensure we aren't there at all."
The French government is also preventing Israel's Ministry of Defense from setting up its own pavilions at these exhibitions. Such pavilions are intended to showcase developments by smaller companies and defense-tech firms whose export potential the ministry seeks to promote. Within Israel's defense establishment and industry, the restrictions are viewed as a commercial boycott disguised as concern for the suffering of Gaza's residents.
"Macron is killing two birds with one stone," a senior defense official said. "He is attempting to appease public opinion in his own country by taking a hard line against Israel, while simultaneously seeking to benefit French arms manufacturers such as MBDA, Safran and Thales, which compete with Elbit, IAI and Rafael for the same global contracts."
Why do Israeli companies continue to participate in arms exhibitions in a country that appears unwilling to welcome them? One reason is that these are prestigious events, and in the defense industry, "if you aren't there, you don't exist." Another senior industry figure said: "The entire world is currently in an era of uncertainty; no one knows what will happen a month from now. It is better to bite one's tongue and remain polite, as the situation might improve. We don't want to burn any bridges."
There are also more practical considerations. For Israeli companies, these exhibitions provide an opportunity to meet clients and maintain relationships. "If we can't showcase our missile in Paris, it's not the end of the world. We'll present it to interested parties elsewhere," a senior defense official said. "The main advantage of these expos is the chance to meet clients from all over the globe. Anyone interested in a product we are barred from displaying in France is welcome to visit Israel. Here, they will receive personal, respectful treatment, far better than what we receive from the French." As he put it, "The disgrace is theirs."
"Israeli missiles would still be in demand even if the screens in our exhibition booths displayed nothing but images of flowers and tourist sites in Israel," he added.
In response, an official French source told Calcalist: "As part of its support for a diplomatic settlement in the Middle East, France does not export to Israel weapons that could be used in Gaza, the West Bank, or Lebanon, and it cannot permit the marketing of such weapons on its territory."
The source added that the French government had stipulated that Israeli defense companies could exhibit only air defense systems, and that the decision had been communicated to the Israeli authorities.
