Pictured is a previous iteration of the Eurosatory arms fair. Credit: Eurosatory website.

An Israeli Ministry of Defence (IMOD) spokesperson claims the Government has been excluded from the international Eurosatory arms fair scheduled to take place between 15-19 June.

“This is a disgraceful decision,” the statement read. “One that reeks of political and commercial calculation.”

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Army Technology is unable to confirm the development at this early stage.

Nevertheless, the IMOD statement claims that the French authorities have excluded government representatives attending the exhibition; imposed a ban on opening an Israeli national pavilion; and set a restriction limiting Israeli defence companies to display air defence products, with offensive systems explicitly excluded.

The biannual exhibition, which takes place just outside Paris, is dedicated to the land and land-air domains.

This year is expected to galvanise an unprecedented number of people and individual displays – 500 more than in 2024. More pertinent is the organisers’ claim that the exhibition will feature 38 international pavilions.

However, if the IMOD statement is accurate, it would not be the first time that state has been excluded or restricted from participating in global defence and aerospace gatherings.

In a dramatic moment last year, during the Paris Air Show, the French Government pushed the organisers to board up all Israeli company displays and the country pavilion. Soon after that, in London, the UK Government excluded Israeli Government representatives from attending DSEI – one of the largest defence exhibitions in the world.

Israel’s repeated restrictions stem from its ongoing military activity in the Middle East, where its Defence Forces are accused of targeting civilians across the region. These claims are tracked by international human rights organisations, which have stated the Israeli military have deployed sensors and effectors against civilians in neighbouring territories.