Israel
France bars Israeli defense firms from full display at Euronaval 2026
By Jewish Life Staff, . Jewish Life.
French authorities have placed strict new limits on Israeli defense companies attending Euronaval 2026, the world's largest naval defense exhibition, which opens in Villepinte, near Paris, on November 3. The Jerusalem Post reported Friday that the French government told organizers it is imposing what it described as a "clearly defined and highly restrictive framework" on nongovernmental Israeli exhibitors.
What the restrictions cover
Under the framework, Israeli companies may not fully display offensive weapons at their booths. Officials at Israel's Defense Ministry told the Post they regard the measures as part of a deliberate policy to exclude Israeli defense technology from major international venues, dressed up as political considerations.
The limits follow a pattern the Post says France has now pursued for two consecutive years. At Euronaval in October 2024, Israeli companies were initially barred from the event entirely; a commercial court in Paris overturned that ban. At the Eurosatory land-warfare exhibition in June of that year, France blocked official Israeli government representation and a national pavilion, and confined Israeli companies to displaying only air-defense or anti-missile products. Exhibition organizers went further still, the Post reported, placing wooden panels in front of booths belonging to Smart Shooter, Controp, Aeronautics, and Marom, with some booths remaining blocked for the duration of the show.
The Paris Air Show in Le Bourget in June 2025 produced the starkest example: organizers raised black walls overnight around booths belonging to Israel Aerospace Industries, Rafael, and Elbit Systems, completing the work before the exhibition's opening. Looking ahead, the Post reported that Israeli companies have been told they will not be given significant floor space at the next Paris Air Show in 2027, with organizers citing limited availability.
Elbit's plans for the show
Despite the restrictions, Elbit Systems announced Thursday that it intends to exhibit at Euronaval. The company said it will present its Unmanned Underwater Vehicle capabilities at the show for the first time, following its acquisition last week of International Submarine Engineering Ltd., a Canadian firm the Post described as a provider of autonomous underwater systems with a record of more than 250 vehicles delivered to customers across more than 20 countries. Elbit said the underwater systems will be shown alongside its Seagull family of Unmanned Surface Vessels and other naval products.
The Post did not report any response from French government officials or Euronaval organizers to the Defense Ministry's characterization of the policy.
Source: https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-913336