Macron backs down on Israel Paris Air Show ban

Today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron, who assured him that Israeli companies will be able to participate in the Paris Air Show, which will be held from July 16 to 22.

Macron’s announcement ends a period in which the French president used several prestigious defense exhibitions held in his country to politically attack Israel while promoting French defense companies, whose Israeli counterparts are major competitors. The mutual accusations began on May 30, when the French channel TF1 interviewed Netanyahu and asked him about the killing of innocents in the Gaza Strip. In response, Netanyahu highlighted France’s 2021 attack in Mali, in which 19 people were killed at a wedding. According to the UN investigation into the case, only five of the wedding guests were members of Al Qaeda, but France insists its conclusions are wrong.

Netanyahu’s focus on that incident reportedly angered Macron, who was already angry because he was striving to consolidate a ceasefire in Gaza while Israel had already begun maneuvers in Rafah. The next day, the French government issued an order to COGES, the organizer of Eurosatory in June, banning Israeli companies from participating in the fair. In addition, pro-Palestinian organizations went to court and requested that anyone holding an Israeli passport be denied entry, and their request was granted.

The person who handled both cases simultaneously for Israel is the lawyer. Patrick Klugman, who led the legal team in the lawsuit against the decision on behalf of the Israel Manufacturers Association and the Israel-France Chamber of Commerce. Klugman claimed the move was taken without authorization because COGES is a private company, and the court upheld the appeal. At the same time, in another court, another unusual event occurred as COGES joined the appeal led by Klugman against the ban on Israelis entering the exhibition. Here too, the legal team was successful, but a problem arose: the decisions were made too close to the Eurosatory date, making it difficult for Israeli companies to organize themselves in a timely manner.

Israeli companies violate French hegemony

Following the court ruling, the French defense industry suffered a major professional blow in July. According to foreign reports, Morocco purchased the Ofek 13 satellite from the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for one billion dollars. This led to the marginalization of the French companies Airbus and Thales, Rabat’s previous suppliers in this field. In the wake of reports about the IAI deal with Morocco, and despite the legal failure, the French government did not back down and tried to keep Israeli companies away from Euronaval in November. Macron, who was angry this time about the developments in the fighting in Lebanon, chose a different approach. He convened the National Defense and Security Council (SGDSN), through which he issued a decision to exclude Israeli companies.

In the legal battle led by lawyers. Klugman and Anna Moshe, who represent, among others, Israeli companies and startups in the defense sector, were able to prove that this step was also taken without authority. The bottom line is that five of the seven companies that planned to participate were able to exhibit at Euronaval, although the decision to lift the ban came less than a week before the event opened.

The most prominent Israeli company participating in the event was Israel Shipyards, which presented, among others, the Mini Kingfisher, a combat boat with a length of only 20 meters, and the new S80 combat ship. Now, exclusion from the most famous Paris Air Show, which is on the list of exhibitions scheduled to be held next year, is out of the question. Before that, Israeli companies will appear at the DSEI exhibition in Japan in May, while Israeli companies are later scheduled to appear at the Dubai Airshow in November.

Published by Globes, Israel Business News – en.globes.co.il – on January 26, 2025.

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