Elbit-bound shipment faces legal challenge and workers’ boycott in France
Three French associations have petitioned a Paris court to halt the shipment of French-made military components to Elbit Systems, arguing that the state must ensure compliance with international law. The cargo has also faced opposition from workers at Roissy airport, after an earlier planned departure was reportedly blocked.
A shipment of French-made military components destined for Elbit Systems is facing a legal challenge and opposition from cargo workers in Paris, as tensions over France’s defense ties with Israel spill into efforts to stop the goods from leaving the country.
Three French associations filed an emergency petition at the Paris Administrative Court on Friday, seeking to prevent the shipment from reaching the Israeli defense company. The Franco-Palestinian association NIDAL, human rights group ASER and JURDI, an organization of jurists focused on respect for international law, argue that France must ensure its obligations under international law are upheld.
The dispute centers on planetary gearboxes manufactured by Mijno Precision Gearing SAS, a company based in Saint-Etienne. According to the associations, the components are intended for military vehicles and were due to be delivered to Elbit Systems Land, the Israeli company’s land systems division.
The shipment was initially scheduled to leave France aboard an Air France flight on October 8, but was reportedly not loaded after civil society groups raised the issue and trade unions mobilized at Roissy airport. It was subsequently scheduled to depart Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle Airport on Saturday aboard an El Al flight. Cargo workers have also refused to load the shipment following a decision by their workers’ committee to boycott it.
The case adds a legal dimension to the opposition from workers and activists seeking to disrupt defense-related transfers to Israel. In June 2025, port workers in Marseille refused to load a container bound for Haifa that held components for machine guns manufactured by a French company. Similar protests have taken place at Italian ports.
The dispute is unfolding amid deteriorating relations between Israel and France over the war in Gaza and the French government’s policies toward Israel. In March, Israel’s Ministry of Defense Director General Amir Baram ordered a halt to defense procurement from France and a reduction in engagements with the country, citing French measures against Israel and the need to reduce reliance on suppliers in countries that restrict defense ties.
France has also restricted the participation of Israeli defense companies in major arms exhibitions. In June, it barred Israel’s Ministry of Defense from officially participating in the Eurosatory exhibition in Paris and limited Israeli companies to displaying defensive systems. The companies’ exhibition areas were subsequently blocked off with wooden panels, despite the companies having met the requirements imposed on them. Similar restrictions were introduced at the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget.
French President Emmanuel Macron has also joined the United Kingdom and Canada in taking a tougher diplomatic stance toward Israel over the Gaza war and government policies in Judea and Samaria. Last month, the three countries announced measures to restrict trade with Israeli settlements as part of a broader initiative involving 12 countries. Britain separately announced a ban on imports of products from the settlements.
Elbit Systems declined to comment.
