In an unprecedented effort to prevent the display of Israeli military equipment at the Paris Airshow, French authorities erected black walls around the booths of several Israeli firms participating at the show. The participation of the Israeli firms had been...
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In an unprecedented effort to prevent the display of Israeli military equipment at the Paris Airshow, French authorities erected black walls around the booths of several Israeli firms participating at the show.
The participation of the Israeli firms had been cleared by Israel’s Ministry of Defence and it appears that the French decision to bar the display of key Israeli weapon systems at Le Bourget stems from the ongoing combat actions between Israel and Iran.
Israel Ministry of Defense Director General Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram characterized the French decision as "absolutely, bluntly Antisemitic" and accused France of "commercial exclusion to prevent successful Israeli industries from competing with French ones."
"Israeli industry is very troubling to them because it doesn't just display things at exhibitions - it proves them in practice," he said, noting that Israel's demonstrated "ability to bring weapons from hundreds of kilometers away to the bedroom where Iran's most important nuclear scientist sleeps."
Baram added the the Israeli defense industry would fight the alleged injustice. "We're not backing down. We're filing court petitions in France today. This comes from the government, from the very top. This is completely a state-level decision."
Industry Leaders React
“Just hours before the opening of the Paris Air Show, Rafael—along with other Israeli defense companies—was ordered by exhibition organizers, under direction from the French government, to remove key systems from display. Overnight, black walls were erected around our booth, physically isolating Israeli exhibitors from the rest of the global defense community,” Israeli firm Rafael Advanced Defence Systems announced in a release. “This action is discriminatory, unprecedented, and contrary to the principles of partnership that international exhibitions are meant to uphold."
‘They may build walls in the dead of night—but we came to build bridges, and to help fortify them. Rafael’s defense systems are on the front lines right now—saving lives, stopping threats, and protecting the values of the free world. Trusted by NATO allies and deployed across continents, our technologies are shaping the modern battlefield and defending population centers in real time,’ an indignant, Yoav Tourgeman, CEO of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, stated.
Boaz Levy, President and CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) also criticized the decision to block access to the company’s equipment on display at Le Bourget.
Apart from Rafael and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the booths of few other Israeli firms, such as Elbit Systems and Uvision were subjected to black-walled coverings that were 3-4 feet high. These coverings were erected before the start of the show.
Israel and Iran are presently in the middle of combat actions against each other, following surprise air-attacks undertaken by the former last week. Israel has inflicted significant damage to Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure and eliminated senior Iranian military commanders and scientists. Iran is responding with ballistic missile strikes.
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