The French authorities have decided to cancel the presence of Israeli Defense industrialists at the EuroSatory show, an international land defense and security event to be held near Paris from June 17, the organizer Coges Events announced on Friday, reports several French media.
This decision comes in a context of increased tensions between Israel and the Palestinians, due to the devastating attack in the Gaza Strip, which caused many civilian victims.
A collective of associations had called on Wednesday the organizers of Eurosatory to prevent the trade of armaments likely to be used by the Israeli army in Gaza, threatening legal proceedings in the event of non-compliance with this request. In a summons given by bailiff on May 24, the coalition also required that the exhibition does not strengthen the economic power of companies likely to participate in crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories, report the same sources.
Seventy-four Israeli companies were initially expected at the show. Recall that during the previous edition of Eurosatory in 2022, Russia was also banished from the show due to its invasion of Ukraine a few months earlier.
The Chilean government made the decision, last March, to exclude Israeli companies from the 2024 edition of the International Air and Space Salon (FIDAE). This measure echoes the position adopted by France concerning the Eurosatory show and testifies to an increasing awareness, internationally, of ethical issues linked to the arms trade in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
