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Israeli Defense Ministry/TPS-IL on 16 June, 2025
‘Ugly and Improper’: Israel Slams French Discrimination at Paris Air Show
Jerusalem, 16 June, 2025 (TPS-IL) -- Israel’s Ministry of Defense on Monday demanded that France reverse what it called an “outrageous and unprecedented” move to block Israeli defense companies from displaying offensive weapons at the Paris Air Show. Just hours before the exhibition’s opening at Le Bourget Airport, organizers acting on behalf of the French government ordered Israeli pavilions to remove certain systems—breaking with standard defense exhibition practices.
When Israeli officials rejected the demand, organizers erected a black wall overnight segregating Israeli pavilions from other displays.
“This unilateral action was carried out in the middle of the night after Israeli defense officials and companies had already finished setting up their displays,” the ministry said.
The ministry accused France of masking commercial motives with politics. “The French are hiding behind supposedly political considerations to exclude Israeli offensive weapons… weapons that compete with French industries,” the ministry charged.
Boaz Levy, CEO and President of the state-owned Israeli Aerospace Industries, said he was “shocked” by the development.
“As the son of a Holocaust survivor, I am very disturbed that not even 100 years after the Holocaust, our people are being discriminated against due to their religion,” said Levy. “This type of behavior is not acceptable and discriminates against us as Israelis and Jewish people since all of the other participants in this Airshow do not have these limitations. We are shocked by the behavior of the Paris Airshow organizers and the French authorities who blocked our team from entering our booth.”
Held every two years, the Paris Air Show is one of the world’s largest and most prestigious aerospace and defense exhibitions. Major manufacturers regularly attend, using the show to unveil new products, announce deals, and network with clients and governments.
Israel set an all-time record for defense exports in 2024, with sales reaching $14.795 billion. International demand for Israel’s military technology has surged as European countries increased their defense budgets in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine. According to figures released by the Defense Ministry, 54% of Israel’s arms sales in 2024 were to Europe.
Calling the decision “ugly and improper,” Israel’s Director General of the Ministry of Defense, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram, urged the French government to take immediate corrective action. “This comes at a time when Israel is fighting a necessary and just war to eliminate the nuclear and ballistic threat facing the Middle East, Europe, and the entire world,” he said.
Israel launched preemptive strikes against Iranian nuclear sites on Friday, citing intelligence that Tehran had reached “a point of no return” in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. According to Israeli defense officials, Iran has developed the capacity to rapidly enrich uranium and assemble nuclear bombs, with sufficient fissile material for up to 15 weapons.
Israeli intelligence also exposed a covert program to complete all components of a nuclear device. The strikes mark a dramatic escalation in what officials describe as a broader Iranian strategy combining nuclear development, missile proliferation, and proxy warfare aimed at Israel’s destruction.
