Israeli defence company Rafael says it will sue the French government after its stand at the Paris Air Show was blocked off when the company refused to remove attack weapons. French authorities said the decision was taken in light of the war in Gaza.
Since Monday morning, four Israeli booths – Rafael, Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries and UVision – have been hidden behind black wooden panels.
French authorities said the companies were displaying “offensive weapons”, which were not permitted under a pre-agreed framework with the Israeli government.
Faced with the companies’ refusal to remove the equipment, the booths were fenced off during the night from Sunday to Monday.
Legal threat over losses
“I assure you that we will sue the French government for what they have done to us,” Shlomo Toaff, executive vice president at Rafael, told Euronews.
“We are going to sue them for causing financial damage, for not giving us access to the property that we had rented. We think this is an unjust decision. We're not getting equal rights like the other exhibitors.”
Toaff also told Politico the firm expects losses “in the mid-double-digit million range”.
He said Rafael had rented the space a year earlier, submitted booth plans months ago, and cleared French customs about a month before the show. Despite that, the company was not given a way to appeal.
France blocks access to Israeli arms stands at Paris Air Show
Government defends decision
French Prime Minister François Bayrou said the ban was a response to the situation in Gaza.
“France considers that this is a terrible situation for the Gazans,” Bayrou told reporters on Monday. “France wanted to demonstrate that offensive weapons should not be present in this show.”
A French official told Politico that Israeli authorities had been informed weeks in advance and claimed the Israeli ambassador in Paris had agreed to the restrictions.
Toaff told the publication the rules were applied unfairly. “If a French company can display offensive weapons, there is no reason we cannot,” he said.
The Israeli Ministry of Defence called the move “scandalous and unprecedented” in a statement on Monday.
Israeli firms faced similar restrictions at France’s Eurosatory defence show in 2024, though later took part in a naval show following a court ruling.
The Paris Air Show runs until Sunday.
