France Imposes New Restrictions on Israeli Defense Firms at Naval Arms Expo

France has again imposed restrictions on Israeli defense companies participating in arms exhibitions in Paris, continuing a policy described as discriminatory. The upcoming "Euronaval" naval arms exhibition, set to open next week, will only permit Israeli firms to display defensive weaponry, specifically air, missile, and ballistic missile defense systems.

According to a letter from Bernadette Corpel, CEO of exhibition organizer SOGENA SAS, the French government has mandated that all displayed materials, including images, videos, models, and promotional content, must exclusively pertain to these defensive capabilities. French authorities will conduct a pre-exhibition review requiring the presence of a company representative; failure to comply will result in the immediate covering and closure of the stand until corrective measures are implemented.

At the previous French arms exhibition, "Eurosatory," Israeli displays deemed "offensive weapons" by local "inspectors" were covered with black curtains. Similar to past events, official Israeli government representatives, including those from the Ministry of Defense, are also prohibited from attending. Major Israeli defense companies such as IAI, Rafael, Elbit, and Israel Shipyards are expected to exhibit, despite the limitations.

In the past, Israeli companies successfully challenged similar restrictions in Paris commercial court for violating EU free market rules, though the ruling came too late for them to re-organize before the exhibition. Despite these limitations, Israeli defense industries report that the restrictions do not impact sales, citing a growing order backlog as evidence that global customers procure weapons independently of exhibitions. They suggest the restrictions are an attempt to undermine Israel's standing and prevent competition with French military industries.

Meanwhile, Elbit Systems announced it will debut its unmanned underwater vehicle capabilities at the exhibition. Elbit has supplied over 250 such systems to more than 20 countries, with applications ranging from intelligence gathering and mine countermeasures to anti-submarine warfare and seabed mapping.