The French news agency, Agence France-Presse (AFP), reported on Wednesday that the Euronaval exhibition, one of the world’s largest maritime defense technology shows, will not include any Israeli booths or equipment at the request of the French government.
This decision follows statements from the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation that France has barred Israeli companies from participating in the event.
The move comes in the wake of French President Emmanuel Macron’s call for a ban on weapons exported to Israel.
In a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Macron emphasized that “weapons shipments do not provide security for the Israelis or the region.”
This isn’t the first instance of such restrictions. In June, a French court issued a ruling to prevent Israelis and agents of Israeli arms companies from participating in the Eurosatory defense exhibition, due to Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
However, the ruling was later overturned after an appeal by the exhibition organizers.
French President Emmanuel Macron criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to send troops into ground operations in Lebanon and attack the country.
“I think that today, the priority is that we return to a political solution, that we stop delivering weapons to fight in Gaza…France is not delivering any,” Macron said in an interview with a local media channel, reported AFP.
Macron affirmed: “I regret that Prime Minister Netanyahu has made another choice and has taken this responsibility, in particular, for ground operations on Lebanese soil…Lebanon cannot become a new Gaza.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed alarming statistics following a year of intense conflict in Gaza, with more than 6% of the population either killed or injured.
The United Nations (UN) has reported that more than 200,000 people have fled Lebanon to Syria due to the ongoing escalation between Israel and Hezbollah.
