Officials in Jerusalem are concerned that Israel may be barred from participating in this year’s International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget due to the ongoing war in Gaza. The event, scheduled for later this month, is considered one of the world’s largest and most influential aerospace exhibitions.
Israeli defense manufacturers are preparing to attend the weeklong event, where they hope to showcase intelligence-gathering aircraft, tactical drones, aerial defense platforms and advanced missile systems.
In 2023, a French court overturned a decision to exclude Israeli companies from Eurosatory 2024, a prominent defense and security trade fair. A similar effort to block Israeli participation in the Euronaval maritime defense exhibition was also rejected by the judiciary.
Amid growing international criticism of Israel—particularly in France—the Israeli Embassy in Paris sent urgent appeals to the National Security Council, calling for high-level intervention with French authorities to prevent a boycott of Israeli firms.
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Israeli officials warned that exclusion from Le Bourget could set a precedent for other international trade shows, especially in Europe, to follow suit.