France has announced the cancellation of Israeli military companies' participation in the "Eurosatory" exhibition, a prominent international defense and security trade show, set to take place near Paris on June 17.
The organizing company, Coges Events, revealed this decision on Friday, attributing it to directives from the French government.
The French Ministry of Armed Forces, which oversees the event, has not officially detailed the reasons behind this move.
However, a ministry official, cited by Politico, stated that the current circumstances are unsuitable for hosting Israeli defense firms, especially as French President Emmanuel Macron has called for a halt to Israeli military operations in Rafah, a city in the southern Gaza Strip.
This decision follows a recent Israeli airstrike on a refugee camp in Rafah, which resulted in the deaths of dozens of Palestinians, sparking European and international outrage.
The incident led to numerous protests across France against the ongoing Israeli military actions in Gaza.
About 2,000 companies are set to participate in the Eurosatory exhibition.
Initially, 74 Israeli companies, including major defense industry players, were expected to attend, with 10 of them scheduled to showcase their weapons.
Politico described France's action as one of the most concrete measures taken by Paris to express its disapproval of the ongoing conflict initiated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Gaza.
This move is likely to impact Israeli defense companies, intensifying competition with their counterparts from various countries, including France.
According to reports, the French Ministry of Defense has made it more challenging for Israeli companies to register for the exhibition.
The ministry now requires that any displayed weapons must have a pre-approved import license from French authorities.
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