Over 30 Israeli companies are set to take part in France’s largest defense exhibition, Eurosatory, in June, despite Israel halting defense procurement with France and past bans on the Jewish state participating in weapons exhibitions in the European nation.
Among the companies taking part will be Israel’s three largest defense companies, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Elbit Systems, and Israel Aerospace Industries. Also slated to take part is Israel’s Defense Ministry’s International Defense Cooperation Directorate (SIBAT), along with Smartshooter, Autonomous Guard, Gilat Defense, Plasan, Controp, and Orbit Communications, among others. Close to a dozen Israeli companies recently acquired by the American defense firm Ondas will also be participating.
The Israeli companies will have their own booths alongside SIBAT’s national pavilion. Participating companies confirm their attendance months in advance.
The participation decision comes after Jerusalem said it was halting defense procurement with Paris in March, following Israel’s accusing France of adopting a hostile attitude toward it over the last two years, forcing the Jewish State to reevaluate how much it could trust sharing its defense products with the French.
France’s decision to formally recognize a Palestinian state further underscored its changing stance. While economic ties between the two nations remain intact, defense cooperation has cooled significantly.
French President Emmanuel Macron halted the flow of weaponry to Israel in late 2024, citing the humanitarian toll of the Gaza war. During the war with Iran, Paris banned aircraft carrying military hardware to Israel from overflying French airspace.
Banned from past events
Eurosatory, one of the world’s largest defense exhibitions, takes place on the outskirts of Paris every two years.
During the last Eurosatory in 2024, France prevented the attendance of dozens of Israeli defense companies. At the time, the French Defense Ministry said that “the conditions are no longer right to host Israeli companies at the Paris show, given that the French president is calling for the cessation of IDF operations in Rafah.”
The move was overturned by the Paris Commercial Court, which found that the order would lead to discrimination, but many Israeli companies decided not to attend the show.
In October 2024, France did not allow Israeli firms that participated in combat in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon to participate in the Euronaval military exhibition. The following year, Israeli defense industry exhibition booths were blocked with large black screens at the 2025 Paris Air Show.
Critics of France’s decisions to bar Israeli defense companies from Eurosatory and the Paris Air Show have argued that the move was not driven solely by political concerns over the Gaza conflict but also by commercial self‑interest.
Defense & Tech by The Jerusalem Post understands that despite the ban at the last event and Israel’s recent actions, attending Eurosatory provides an opportunity to showcase capabilities, support local companies, and demonstrate the depth of combat-proven innovation that Israel brings to the international defense community.
Beyond visibility, Eurosatory is also a platform for strategic engagement, with Israeli companies able to hold high-level meetings and engage with other major global players.
Nevertheless, following past actions by the French, D&T understands that Israel is preparing for any sort of situation. There is concern that violent protests may be held outside the exhibition venue, possibly targeting Israel’s national pavilion and Israeli booths.