Overview

• At the inauguration of the 55th Paris Air Show on June 16, organizers blocked visitor access to the stands of five Israeli defense companies with plywood barriers.
• Elbit, Rafael, Israel Aerospace Industries, Uvision and Aeronautics refused a Sunday directive to withdraw specific weaponry classified as offensive from their displays.
• A Paris court had ruled that the firms could legally exhibit their armaments, but organizers prioritized security concerns linked to the Gaza conflict.
• François Bayrou justified the closures by highlighting the ‘extremely heavy’ situation in Gaza overshadowing the event.
• The episode illustrates mounting diplomatic and political tensions over arms demonstrations at major international exhibitions.