According to reports from U.S. publication “Defense News” and “The Hill,” Israel said on June 1 that France has barred Israeli government representatives from attending the European International Defense Exhibition scheduled for later this month.
U.S. media revealed that the European International Defense Exhibition is one of the world’s largest arms shows, opening on June 15 at Villetaneuse, a suburb north of Paris. In a statement on June 1, the Israeli Ministry of Defense said France’s decision includes banning Israeli government representatives from attending this exhibition, prohibiting the establishment of an Israeli national pavilion, and restricting Israeli defense companies—allowing them to display only defensive weapons and not offensive ones. The Israeli Ministry of Defense described this as a “discriminatory” decision, “full of political overtones and commercial calculations.”
French Ministry of Defense booth at the 2024 European International Defense Exhibition
“The Hill” reported that a French Ministry of Defense official confirmed to the media that this ban is in place, stating that only Israeli companies showcasing air defense and missile defense systems would be allowed to participate in the exhibition. The report noted that these restrictions were announced amid ongoing tensions between France and Israel over Israel’s military operations in Lebanon.
“This isn’t the first time France has banned Israeli participation,” the report added. Following Israel’s war on Gaza in 2024, the French government also prohibited Israeli companies from attending the European International Defense Exhibition and the European Navy Show; in June 2025, France also barred Israeli participation in the Paris Air Show. Israeli official and military delegations had previously been banned from the 2025 UK International Defense Exhibition in Britain.
Reports indicated that Israeli military forces have escalated their operations in Lebanon in recent days, drawing international condemnation. Countries such as France, the UK, Germany, and Egypt have all expressed condemnation and concerns over Israel’s increased actions in Lebanon. French President Macron stated on May 31 that the continued escalation in southern Lebanon has “no justification,” and emphasized that stability in the Middle East should begin with resolving the situation in Lebanon first.
