As at other international arms exhibitions hosted by France over the past three years, Israeli defense companies participating in Euronaval, the naval defense exhibition opening Tuesday in Paris, face stricter oversight than their international competitors. The Israeli companies are permitted to display defensive systems only.
More than 700 companies from approximately 40 countries are exhibiting weapons systems and new technologies designed for naval warfare. Six Israeli companies, including Orbit, Elbit Systems, Rafael and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), have chosen to participate despite the restrictions. Many of their weapons systems, however, will have to wait for another opportunity to be displayed.
An Israel Aerospace Industries Barak MX missile launched from a ship
(Photo: Israel Aerospace Industries)
Last week, as Israeli companies prepared their exhibition booths in Paris, they were instructed to leave their offensive weapons in storage and limit their displays to defensive systems. The restrictions come at a time of surging demand for naval weapons systems, driven by the crises in the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, as well as naval warfare between Russia and Ukraine.
According to a report by France's maritime industries association, the value of contracts related to naval warfare increased by 47% in 2024 and 2025 compared with the preceding two years. The deals were worth a combined $124 billion.
As of Monday, exhibition organizers appeared determined to enforce the restrictions imposed by the French government. The measures also apply to videos demonstrating the offensive capabilities of Israeli weapons systems. Ahead of the exhibition's opening, organizers inspected the booths, reviewed the videos scheduled for display and censored footage featuring offensive weapons.
Similar restrictions were imposed on Israeli companies at the Eurosatory land-defense exhibition held in France in June. The requirement to remove offensive weapons left many Israeli booths almost empty. But that was not enough for the French government. On the morning the exhibition opened, access to the Israeli booths was blocked with wooden panels.
The war in Gaza has severely damaged relations between Israel and France, turning defense exhibitions in Paris into a recurring source of confrontation between the two countries. Although the French government maintains that it supports Israel's right to defend itself, it refuses to allow weapons that could be used by Israel in Gaza to be promoted on French soil. It remains unclear how the dispute will develop during Euronaval.
Meanwhile, the participation of Israeli companies in an even more important event, the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget next summer, is also in doubt. In recent days, defense manufacturers have received messages informing them that there is "no space left" and that they will therefore be unable to display their aviation systems at the prestigious exhibition. "It's a pathetic excuse," the CEO of a major defense company told Calcalist. "They're trying to restrict us in every possible way, and now they're trying to create a situation in which we won't be there at all."
The French government also prohibits Israel's Defense Ministry from establishing its own pavilions at these exhibitions to showcase technologies developed by smaller companies and defense-tech firms whose export activities it seeks to promote. Officials in Israel's defense establishment and defense industries argue that the restrictions amount to a commercial boycott disguised as concern for the suffering of Gaza's residents.
"Macron is killing two birds with one stone," a senior defense official claimed. "He's trying to satisfy public opinion in France by taking a tough stance against Israel, while at the same time benefiting French weapons manufacturers such as MBDA, Safran and Thales, which compete against Elbit, IAI and Rafael for the same contracts around the world."
Why, then, do Israeli companies insist on participating in defense exhibitions hosted by a country that appears reluctant to welcome them? One explanation is the prestige of these events and the industry's belief that companies absent from major exhibitions risk losing visibility in the global market. As another senior defense industry official explained: "The entire world is living through a period of uncertainty. Nobody knows what will happen a month from now, so it's better to bite our tongues and remain polite, because the situation might improve. We don't want to burn bridges."
There are also more practical reasons. For Israeli companies, the exhibitions offer an opportunity to meet customers and maintain business relationships. "If we can't display our missile in Paris, it's not a disaster. We'll show it to anyone who's interested somewhere else," a senior defense official said. "The main advantage of these exhibitions is that you meet customers from all over the world. Anyone interested in something we're not allowed to display in France is welcome to visit Israel. They'll receive personal, respectful treatment here, much better than the treatment we're getting from the French."
"The disgrace is theirs," he added. "Israeli missiles will remain in demand even if the screens in our exhibition booths show nothing but pictures of flowers and tourist attractions in Israel."
An official French source told Calcalist in response: "As part of its support for a diplomatic settlement in the Middle East, France does not export to Israel weapons that could be used in Gaza, the West Bank or Lebanon, and cannot permit the marketing of such weapons on its territory."
The source added that the French government had decided to allow Israeli defense companies to exhibit only air defense systems and that Israeli authorities had been informed of the decision.