Despite Ban on Offensive Weapons, Pro-Palestinian Activists Try to Block Entry to Arms Fair

Despite France's ban on offensive Israeli weapons at the Eurosatory arms fair in Paris, a group of around thirty pro-Palestinian activists attempted to block access to the exhibition on Monday. The protest, which denounced "all arms dealers" for their role in suppressing popular uprisings, led to the intervention of riot police and the arrest of several activists.

Celeste, a spokesperson for the group, stated that the French government's prohibition of offensive weapons implied the existence of purely defensive arms. She argued that the mere presence of Israeli companies at the fair constituted complicity in the "genocide" in Gaza. Riot police quickly dispersed the demonstration, detaining several individuals.

Israel's Ministry of Defense reacted strongly to the organizers' decision to cover up the pavilions of Israeli defense companies overnight. The ministry labeled the action "cynical and discriminatory," interpreting it as an effort to exclude Israeli technology from an international showcase. Israel asserted that its companies had complied with French government demands to exhibit only defensive systems and vowed to continue promoting its arms exports to "new global highs," despite what it perceived as a French attempt to "hide Israeli technological superiority from the world."

In early June, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed that participating Israeli companies would be restricted to exhibiting defensive equipment. This follows a broader ban in the 2024 edition of Eurosatory, where the French government excluded dozens of Israeli firms due to Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip, which have resulted in a significant death toll since October 7, 2023. Eurosatory is recognized as one of the world's leading security and defense trade shows, focusing on land and air-land activities, with this year's event featuring 2,656 exhibitors from 61 countries and 330 official delegations from 93 nations.