PARIS (AP) — France’s government ordered black partition walls erected around Israeli defense industry exhibits displaying offensive weapons at the Paris Air Show, because of the war in Gaza and rising tensions in the Mideast. Israel’s Defense Ministry demanded a reversal of the decision.
A French appeals court had ruled Friday against activist groups who sought to block Israeli companies from participating in the show due to Israel’s actions in Gaza. The Paris Air Show, held at Le Bourget north of Paris, is one of the world’s largest and most prestigious events for the aerospace and defense industry.
The black walls appeared overnight ahead of the show’s opening Monday, visually isolating Israeli booths from dozens of other international exhibitors.
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said the decision was made to allow Israeli companies to display their aviation technology but no offensive weapons, “given the situation in the region, the extreme tensions … given France’s diplomatic choices, notably concern about Gaza.”
Bayrou said the Israeli Embassy and companies were informed in advance of the restriction and that some complied, but others didn’t. As a result the displays were covered up, ‘’I hope temporarily.”
The Israeli Defense Ministry said the demand to remove offensive weapons displays came at the last minute.
“The French are hiding behind supposedly political considerations to exclude Israeli offensive weapons from an international exhibition — weapons that compete with French industries,” the ministry said in a statement Monday, calling the action “ugly and improper.”
An array of offensive weapons are on display elsewhere at the Paris Air Show, among the most prominent being French, including its Rafale fighter jets, cruise missiles and other hardware. Bayrou officially opened the air show Monday.
A French official said Israeli exhibitors were told weeks ago that they couldn’t exhibit offensive weaponry, and that the walls were erected as a last resort when five didn’t comply. Four others did and are allowed to exhibit. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the details.
The French prime minister drew a distinction between Israel’s recent attacks on Iran and its actions in Gaza.
‘’I have never underestimated the risk that Iran and Iran’s preparation of nuclear weapons creates for the whole region, for the whole world,” Bayrou said.
“The situation in Gaza, it touches, it injures, it repulses a large number of our compatriots, including those who are friends of Israel,” he said.
Israel’s actions in Gaza since the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, have prompted protests and concerns in France, especially the blockage of humanitarian aid in recent months.
Air show organizers said the decision on which countries are allowed to exhibit lies with the French government.
Two women angry with the French decision drew an Israeli flag and graffiti on the black partitions around the stand for Israeli company Rafael, accusing the French government of discrimination. Security personnel then covered up the graffiti with black plastic.
Shlomo Toaff, head of Rafael’s air defense systems division, couldn’t enter his company’s small display area Monday morning, and said he planned to pursue emergency legal action to try to restore access.
“These weapons are used by the Israeli government in a legal way in order to protect our people and in order to free the hostages,” he told the AP.
“We hope that maybe somebody will come to their senses and reopen our show,” he added. ‘’Anybody that is for a free world, free business, freedom of speech should be outraged by this.”
A small group of activists demonstrating outside the air show said the French government’s action wasn’t nearly strong enough. They protested Israel’s attacks on Gaza as well as countries and companies that deliver weapons to Israel or buy from Israeli weapons makers.
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Associated Press writers Angela Charlton and Thomas Adamson in Paris, and Julia Frankel and Yesica Fisch in Jerusalem contributed to this report.