Onboard Air Force One following the G7 summit, the US president lashed out at his French counterpart. Meanwhile, Paris is facing backlash for concealing Israeli defense booths at a major arms expo, reigniting historical tensions tied to France’s role in Iran.
On June 17, 2025, at 8:06 AM CET aboard Air Force One departing Calgary–Kananaskis at the conclusion of the G7 summit, US President Donald Trump publicly rebuked French President Emmanuel Macron, calling him “publicity-seeking” and claiming that “whether purposely or not, Emmanuel always gets it wrong.” The comments came in response to Macron’s suggestion that Trump had left the summit early in order to mediate a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Trump rejected this version, writing on Truth Social that he departed for reasons “much bigger” and urged followers to “Stay Tuned!”
France and Israeli relations
Simultaneously, a separate diplomatic storm was brewing in Paris. On the night of June 16, during final setup for the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, black partition walls were erected around the booths of four major Israeli defense companies—Elbit Systems, Rafael, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), and Uvision. The move, carried out by show organizers following orders from a French security authority and endorsed by the government, was justified on the grounds that the Israeli companies refused to remove exhibits classified in France as “offensive weapons.”
Israel’s Defense Ministry issued a sharp condemnation, labeling the action “absolutely, bluntly antisemitic” and announcing legal proceedings against the organizers. Boaz Levy, CEO of IAI, criticized the act as reminiscent of “the dark days of when Jews were segmented from European society.” Industry representatives added that the decision was not only politically charged but also economically motivated. “If you cannot beat them technologically, just hide them,” said Elbit executive Meshar Sasson.
French officials defended the decision, insisting that ethical display guidelines had been communicated well in advance to all participating companies. A spokesperson for Prime Minister François Bayrou said the move reflected France’s humanitarian position on the crisis in Gaza and was not directed at any specific country.
The growing friction between Jerusalem and Paris was further underscored by Macron’s recent comments warning against a military campaign to topple the Iranian regime. The French president argued that regime change could lead to chaos similar to what followed in Iraq and Libya. His statements reignited a longstanding debate over France’s historical involvement in Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. At the center of that history is the period in the 1970s when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini lived in exile near Paris in Neauphle-le-Château. It was from there that he broadcast messages that catalyzed the fall of the Shah’s monarchy. In 1979, Khomeini returned from France to lead the establishment of the Islamic Republic—an event whose consequences still shape Israeli strategic concerns to this day.