Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz says his ministry will pursue diplomatic and legal action against France following the decision by Paris to ban Israeli companies whose weapons are being used in Gaza and Lebanon from participating in a top naval warfare trade show.
He said the boycott of Israeli companies “with the imposition of unacceptable conditions, are anti-democratic measures that in our eyes are not acceptable, especially between friendly nations. I urge President Macron to cancel them completely.”
On its website, Euronaval says the “exhibition organizers acknowledge the decision of the [French] National Defense and Security Council dated October 1, 2024, which stipulates that Israeli companies wishing to participate in the Euronaval exhibition may do so.”
But it adds: “They may have an exhibition stand, provided that their products are not used in military operations in Gaza and Lebanon.”
Remember: While France has historically provided Israel with arms, in recent weeks the relationship between the two countries has become strained as French President Emmanuel Macron called for an end to arms exports to Israel to try and push for a ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza.
On October 5, Macron called for the complete suspension of the sale of arms “used in the war in Gaza,” and stressed that France had not been involved in their supply.
CNN’s Antoinette Radford contributed reporting.