The organisers announced on Friday that French authorities have banned Israeli defence companies from exhibiting at a major trade show near Paris next month. “By decision of the government authorities, there will be no stand for the Israeli defence industry at the Eurosatory 2024 fair,” stated Coges Events, the event organizer. Neither Coges nor the French Defense Ministry provided an explanation for the decision.
Initially, 74 Israeli firms were scheduled to participate in the event from June 17 to 21 at fairgrounds near Paris’ main international airport. Coges had previously announced that around 10 of these companies were set to exhibit weapons.
This announcement follows the recent Israeli bombing of a tent camp for displaced persons in the Gaza Strip, which has sparked international outrage and protests in France. The Israeli air raids, which occurred from Sunday night to Monday in Rafah, killed at least 45 people, according to local authorities. The conflict, nearly eight months into the latest Gaza war, has resulted in over 36,000 deaths in the Palestinian enclave, mostly women and children, according to local health officials. The conflict began after Hamas, a Palestinian resistance group, attacked southern Israel on October 7, leading to nearly 1,200 deaths, according to Israeli figures.
Last week, a group of activists issued a legal warning to Coges, urging them to take measures to prevent the buying and selling of weapons that could be used in “crimes” committed in Gaza or other parts of the occupied Palestinian territories. Organizations such as ASER, Stop Arming Israel, Urgency Palestine, and the France-Palestine Solidarity Association also warned against the fair’s potential to reinforce the economic power of firms likely to participate in these crimes.
