Israel vows to respond to Macron’s arms expo ban

Israel will fight a move by the French government to forbid the country’s firms from taking part in an upcoming naval trade show in Paris, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has said.

The organizers of the Euronaval exhibition announced last week that authorities in Paris had informed them that Israeli delegations would not be allowed to operate stands or display equipment at the event. The trade show is scheduled to be held between November 4 and 7. Seven Israeli arms makers had been planning to take part, according to the organizers.

Tensions between Paris and West Jerusalem have been on the rise in recent months, as French President Emmanuel Macron became increasingly critical of the Israeli military’s conduct of the war in Gaza, which has now spread to Lebanon.

Katz said in a statement on Sunday that he had instructed foreign ministry officials “to assist in taking legal and diplomatic action against French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to prevent Israeli companies from showcasing their products at the Euronaval.”

“The boycott of Israeli companies for the second time, or the imposition of unacceptable conditions, are undemocratic measures that are not acceptable between friendly nations. I urge President Macron to cancel them entirely,” the minister stressed.

In June, a French court banned Israeli companies from attending the Eurosatory international arms fair in Paris. However, the ruling was later overturned in the court of appeals.

"Israel stands alone at the forefront of the fight against Iran and the radical Islamic axis of evil. France, along with the entire free world, should stand with us – not against us,” Katz insisted.

On Saturday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also lashed out over the ban, saying that the French president “aids Israel’s enemies during war” by not letting firms from the country take part in the Euronaval expo. Macron’s actions “are a disgrace to the French nation and the values of the free world, which he claims to uphold,” Gallant wrote on X.

Earlier this month, Macron called upon the US and EU to “stop delivering arms” to Israel, stressing the need for a “political solution” to the crisis in the Middle East and warning that Lebanon could turn into “a new Gaza.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired back, labeling the French president’s words a “disgrace” and insisting that Israel “will win with or without” Western support.