France shuts 12 Israeli stands at Eurosatory defence expo as diplomatic tensions sharpen over offensive weapons ban

Stands closed on opening day

At the opening of the Eurosatory defence and security exhibition in Villepinte, north of Paris, 12 booths operated by Israeli companies were sealed off. Organiser Coges Events said the closures were mandatory after the exhibitors failed to meet conditions imposed by French authorities.

“As a result, 12 booths had to be closed.”

Three large Israeli contractors — Israel Aerospace Industries, Rafael, and Elbit — kept their stands open but displayed no weapon models in public view, unlike exhibitors from other nations. Smaller firms, including drone-battery maker Amit Industries, found their booths surrounded by grey fabric panels. Amit Manor, CEO of Amit Industries, told AFP he had earlier received a green light from French officials before being informed his booth would be shut.

French rules: defensive equipment only

The French government had warned ahead of the expo that Israeli exhibitors could only show materials "exclusively related to air defence and ballistic missile defence capabilities," commissioner Charles Beaudouin stated. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said in early June that France recognised Israel's right to self-defence but had told organisers "only defensive equipment may be displayed," adding that any rocket manufacturer would be barred from showing its products.

The instruction mirrors a restriction applied at the 2025 Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, where Israeli firms were similarly limited to air-defence products. In 2024, all Israeli defence companies were barred from Eurosatory entirely, a move linked to the war in Gaza.

Israeli anger and accusations of unfair competition

Israel's defence ministry called the closures "a cynical measure, neither fair nor surprising" meant to hide Israeli technological prowess from the world. Ambassador Joshua Zarka, visiting a blocked booth, told AFP that France was "losing a large share of this international market" and engaging in "inadequate and frankly unfair" competition.

“This is a cynical measure, neither fair nor surprising, intended to exclude Israeli technology — whose quality is proven daily throughout the Middle East — from an international exhibition.”

Zarka also denounced the move as "a shame and it is unacceptable." Israel recorded a record $19.2 billion in defence exports in 2025, roughly matching France's projected €20 billion, according to the French Armed Forces minister.

Espionage warnings overshadow the exhibition

Separately, France's defence intelligence and security directorate (DRSD) alerted French exhibitors to spy risks at the five-day event, which draws 2,653 exhibitors from 65 countries and 330 official delegations from 93 nations. The DRSD cautioned about theft of materials, remote computer intrusions, phone intercepts, and interviews conducted by fake journalists posing as interns or former employees. Counter-intelligence agents from multiple countries will be deployed, the commissioner confirmed.

The warning, reported by Le Point and Radio France, is a recurring concern at major arms fairs, organisers acknowledged.