Paris Air Show tells Israeli defense companies there is no room for them
IAI, Rafael and Elbit have participated in the exhibition for decades, but organizers say all available space is booked. Israeli officials see the move as another attempt to shut the country’s defense industry out of French arms fairs.
As the French government restricts Israeli defense companies planning to participate in next week’s Euronaval naval defense exhibition in Paris to displaying defensive systems only, a new threat has emerged that could jeopardize their participation in the Paris Air Show next summer.
Israeli defense companies, including major players Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Rafael and Elbit Systems, have participated regularly in the biennial Paris Air Show for decades. But organizers have told the companies that no exhibition space is available for their pavilions, raising concerns within Israel’s defense establishment that they could be excluded from the prestigious event altogether.
The organizers’ official website also states that all available exhibition space has been booked. Around 2,400 companies from approximately 50 countries are expected to take part.
Israeli defense officials view the explanation with skepticism, suspecting that the stated lack of space is a pretext for a political boycott of Israeli companies by the French government. They see the latest development as a further escalation beyond the restrictions imposed on Israeli exhibitors at Euronaval, where they will be allowed to display defensive systems only.
The dispute follows the 2025 Paris Air Show, when the pavilions of Israeli companies were cordoned off with wooden panels and black fabric. Organizers said the measures were taken because the companies were displaying offensive weapons.
Since the outbreak of the war on October 7, the French government has taken steps that have hindered Israeli companies’ participation in several major arms exhibitions in Paris, including the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget and the Eurosatory land defense exhibition.
The latest developments come amid increasingly sharp criticism of Israel by the French government and President Emmanuel Macron over its military campaign in Gaza. France, together with the United Kingdom and Canada, is also leading an effort to impose economic measures against Israel. The three countries have announced plans to restrict trade with Israeli settlements as part of a broader initiative involving 12 countries.
