French Defence Ministry suggests the choice is linked to Paris’s opposition to the persevering with Israeli invasion of Rafah.
France has banned Israeli corporations from collaborating on this yr’s annual Eurosatory arms and defence trade exhibition in Villepinte close to Paris subsequent month, the occasion’s organisers and French authorities have mentioned.
“By choice of the federal government authorities, there will probably be no stand for the Israeli defence trade on the Eurosatory 2024 truthful,” organisers Coges Occasions mentioned on Friday.
The French Defence Ministry urged that the choice was linked to Paris’s opposition to the persevering with Israeli assault on Rafah in southern Gaza.
“Situations are not met to host Israeli corporations on the present at a time when the President is looking for Israel to stop operations in Rafah,” the ministry instructed the Reuters information company.
Seventy-four Israeli companies had been set to attend the occasion from June 17 to 21 at fairgrounds near Paris’s major worldwide airport, with Coges beforehand saying about 10 of them had been to exhibit weapons.
Final week, a bunch of activists issued a authorized warning and urged Coges to take measures to keep away from shopping for and promoting weapons that could possibly be utilized in “crimes” dedicated in Gaza or different components of the occupied Palestinian territory.
ASER, Cease Arming Israel, Urgency Palestine and the France-Palestine Solidarity Affiliation additionally warned towards income from the truthful “reinforcing the financial energy of companies prone to take part in these crimes”.
Coges instructed the AFP information company that it was “a good solely for the presentation of defence and safety gear … and in no means a spot for offers.”
Friday’s announcement got here simply days after Israel bombed a camp for displaced folks in Rafah in southern Gaza, setting off worldwide outrage and widespread protests in France.
President Emmanuel Macron additionally mentioned he was “outraged” over the Israeli air raid that killed 45 folks within the encampment.
In earlier weeks, France joined different Western nations in urging Israel towards invading Rafah, which had turn into dwelling to lots of of hundreds of Palestinians forcibly displaced from different components of Gaza.
Israel has ignored these warnings and pushed on with a significant offensive towards Rafah, displacing about a million folks from town. The assault, which noticed Israeli forces take over the Rafah crossing with Egypt, has additionally worsened the humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
Final week, the Worldwide Court docket of Justice (ICJ) – the highest United Nations courtroom – ordered Israel to halt its assaults on Rafah.
Not less than 36,284 Palestinians have been killed and 82,057 wounded in Israel’s conflict on Gaza since October 7.
