Ex-IDF spokesman urges strong Israeli response after Paris arms fair blockade

Former IDF spokesman Avi Benayahu on Monday reacted to an unusual incident at the Euostory arms exhibition in Paris, after the fair’s management was said to have blocked Israeli company booths from displaying at the event. He called the move by France a “thuggish step” and said Israel should answer “with force.”

Benayahu outlined three steps he believes Jerusalem should take: summon the French ambassador for a reprimand, recall Israel’s ambassador in Paris for consultations, and bar French participation in conferences and exhibitions in Israel for the next two years. He also said Israel should understand that the French move was not political but economic, claiming it was meant to hurt Israeli weapons sales and promote French ones under President Emmanuel Macron.

Earlier Monday, the Defense Ministry said the international exhibition’s management had physically blocked the booths of Israeli defense companies with wooden panels. The ministry said the companies had met what it described as France’s “outrageous” demands and were displaying only defensive weapons systems.

The ministry called the action “cynical, unequal and unsurprising,” saying it was intended to exclude Israeli technology from an international show despite its proven quality across the Middle East. Israel said it would not retreat from the global arena, adding that the Defense Ministry would continue promoting Israeli defense exports worldwide “to new heights,” despite French efforts to hide Israel’s technological advantage.