Macron backs down on Israel Paris Air Show ban

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke today 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 16-22.

Macron’s announcement ends a period in which the French president has used the many prestigious defense exhibitions held in his country to politically hit Israel while promoting French defense companies, whose Israeli counterparts are major rivals. The mutual recriminations began on May 30, when Netanyahu was interviewed by France’s TF1 channel and asked about the killing of innocent people in the Gaza Strip. In response, Netanyahu turned the spotlight on France’s attack in Mali in 2021, in which 19 people were killed at a wedding. According to the UN investigation into the affair, only five of the wedding guests were Al-Qaeda members, but France insists that its conclusions are wrong.

Netanyahu’s focus on that incident reportedly infuriated Macron, who was already incensed that he had been striving to promote a ceasefire in Gaza while Israel had already begun maneuvers in Rafah. The very next day, the French government issued an order to COGES, the company organizing the Eurosatory exhibition in June, to bar Israeli companies from the exhibition. In addition, pro-Palestinian organizations went to court and asked to ban entry for anyone with an Israeli passport, and their request was granted.

The person who handled both cases simultaneously for Israel was Adv. Patrick Klugman, who led the legal team in the lawsuit against the decision on behalf of the Manufacturers’ Association of Israel and the Israel-France Chamber of Commerce. Klugman claimed that the step was taken without authority because COGES is a private company, and the court upheld the appeal. At the same time, in another court, another unusual event occurred in that 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 so close to the Eurosatory date that the Israeli companies had difficulty organizing themselves in time.

Israeli companies breaching French hegemony

After the court’s ruling, France’s defense industries suffered a major professional blow in July. According to foreign reports, Morocco purchased Ofek 13 satellites from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for $1 billion. This sidelined French companies Airbus and Thales, Rabat’s previous suppliers in the field. Following reports about the IAI deal with Morocco and despite the legal failure, the French government did not relent and attempted to keep Israeli companies away from the Euronaval exhibition in November. Macron, who this time was furious about the developments in the fighting in Lebanon, chose a different method. He convened the National Defense and Security Council (SGDSN), and through it issued a decision to exclude Israeli companies.

In the legal battle led by Advs. Klugman and Anna Moshe, who, among other things, represent Israeli companies and startups in the defense sector, they were able to prove that this step was also taken without authority. The bottom line was that five of the seven companies that planned to participate were able to exhibit at Euronaval, even though the ruling lifting the ban came less than a week before the event opened.

The most prominent Israeli company that exhibited at that event was Israel Shipyards, which, among other things, presented the Mini Kingfisher, a combat boat measuring only 20 meters in length, and the new S80 combat ship. Now, exclusion from the much more prestigious Paris Air Show, which is on the list of exhibitions scheduled for the coming year is out of the question. Before that, Israeli companies will appear at DSEI exhibition in Japan in May, while subsequently in November Israeli companies are due to appear at the Dubai Air Show.

Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on January 26, 2025.

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