Israel furious after France orders black partitions at Paris air show over Gaza war, tensions with Iran
A French appeals court had ruled Friday against activist groups who sought to block Israeli companies from participating in the show due to Israel's actions in Gaza. The Paris Air Show, held at Le Bourget north of Paris, is one of the world's largest and most prestigious events for the aerospace and defence industry.
The black walls appeared overnight ahead of the show's opening Monday, visually isolating Israeli booths from dozens of other international exhibitors.
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said the decision was made to allow Israeli companies to display their aviation technology but no offensive weapons, "given the situation in the region, the extreme tensions ... given France's diplomatic choices, notably concern about Gaza."
Bayrou said the Israeli Embassy and companies were informed in advance of the restriction and that some complied, but others didn't. As a result the displays were covered up, "I hope temporarily."
The Israeli Defence Ministry said the demand to remove offensive weapons displays came at the last minute.
'The French are hiding behind supposedly political considerations to exclude Israeli offensive weapons from an international exhibition — weapons that compete with French industries,' the ministry said in a statement Monday, calling the action 'ugly and improper.'
An array of offensive weapons are on display elsewhere at the Paris Air Show, among the most prominent being French, including its Rafale fighter jets, cruise missiles and other hardware. Bayrou officially opened the air show Monday, visiting several stands, and as he spoke, his voice was partially drowned out by the roar of overhead aircraft.
A French official said the decision came from the General Secretariat for Defense and National Security, under the prime minister. The official said Israeli exhibitors were told weeks ago that they couldn't exhibit offensive weaponry, and that the walls were erected as a last resort when five didn't comply. Four others did and are allowed to exhibit. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorised to discuss the details.
The French prime minister drew a distinction between Israel's recent attacks on Iran and its actions in Gaza.
"I have never underestimated the risk that Iran and Iran's preparation of nuclear weapons creates for the whole region, for the whole world," Bayrou said.
'The situation in Gaza, it touches, it injures, it repulses a large number of our compatriots, including those who are friends of Israel," he said.
Israel's actions in Gaza since the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, have drawn protests and concerns in France, especially the blockage of humanitarian aid in recent months.
Sylvain Pavillet, a lawyer working with the air show organisers, said the final decision on which countries are allowed to exhibit lies with the French government, not the show itself.
Two women angry with the French decision drew an Israeli flag and graffiti on the black partitions around the stand for Israeli company Rafael, accusing the French government of discrimination. Security personnel then covered up the graffiti with black plastic.
Shlomo Toaff, head of Rafael's air defence systems division, said he couldn't even enter his company's small display area Monday morning.
'These weapons are used by the Israeli government in a legal way in order to to protect our people and in order to free the hostages," he told the AP.
'We hope that maybe somebody will come to their senses and reopen our show," he added. 'Anybody that is for a free world, free business, freedom of speech should be outraged by this.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
India First: PM's RSS praise sparks firestorm, 'Sudarshan Chakra' for India
9:54 This special report marks 100 days of Operation Sindoor with a first-ever ground report from Ambala Air Force Station, home of the Golden Arrow Squadron. The programme details how Rafale fighter jets launched missions to strike terror camps and cripple multiple air bases deep inside Pakistan. It explores the omni-role capabilities of the French-procured jets, which can perform air-to-air, air-to-ground, and reconnaissance missions in a single sortie, armed with Meteor and Scalp missiles. The commanding officer of the Golden Arrows reveals the precision of the mission, stating, "the roles that were assigned to the squadron and the aircraft were successfully completed by the squadron and whatever weapons were delivered by the aircraft were very very precise." The report also notes that following the operation's success, the Indian Air Force has formally pitched for additional Rafale jets to offset its depleting squadron strength.
NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
Macron Decries Antisemitic 'Hatred' After Memorial Tree Cut Down
The cutting down of an olive tree planted in memory of a young French Jewish man tortured to death in 2006 stirred outrage in France on Friday, with President Emmanuel Macron vowing punishment over an act of antisemitic "hatred". Politicians across the political spectrum condemned the act as an attack against the memory of Ilan Halimi, who was kidnapped by a gang of around 20 youths in January 2006 and tortured in a low-income housing estate in the Paris suburb of Bagneux. Found three weeks later, the 23-year-old died on the way to hospital. An olive tree, planted in 2011 in Halimi's memory, was felled, probably with a chainsaw, earlier this week in the northern Paris suburb of Epinay-sur-Seine. The incident stoked fresh concerns about an increase in antisemitic acts and hate crimes in France as international tensions mount over Gaza. Fresh flowers have been left at the memorial stone next to the tree stump, according to an AFP journalist. "Every effort will be made to punish this act of hatred," Macron said on X, adding France's fight against antisemitism will be "uncompromising". "The nation will not forget this son of France who died because he was Jewish." Prime Minister Francois Bayrou called the tree "a living bulwark against oblivion". "The never-ending fight against the deadly poison of hatred is our primary duty," he added. Officials pledged to plant a new tree "as soon as possible". "It is not just a tree that has been cut down, it is a hope that has been sabotaged," France's chief rabbi Haim Korsia said before praying in front of the memorial with other members of the Jewish community. 'Murdered His Memory' France's Jewish community -- one of the largest in the world -- says the number of antisemitic acts has surged following the attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023 which was followed by Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip and aid blockade. In 2006, Halimi's murder struck horror into France's Jewish people and stirred debate about antisemitism in France. Police at the time initially refused to consider the murder a hate crime, and tens of thousands took to the street to demand justice. Yonathan Arfi, president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF), said the felling of the tree was "extremely painful". "There is nothing more cowardly, and those who have murdered his memory are no better than those who took his life 20 years ago," Arfi told AFP. "This is not just another antisemitic act, it is a way for antisemites to shout that they are here more than ever." Herve Chevreau, the mayor of Epinay-sur-Seine, filed a criminal complaint. Paris police chief Laurent Nunez condemned what he called a "despicable act" and said an investigation had been launched. Halimi was lured by a 17-year-old girl to a housing estate basement in the suburbs, where he was attacked and subdued with ether. Held prisoner for ransom, Halimi was tortured for 24 days before he was found naked, bound and gagged on February 13, 2006. Youssouf Fofana, the head of the gang dubbed the "Barbarians", was sentenced to life in prison. The son of Ivorian immigrants, Fofana had recruited followers among youths from Paris's bleak immigrant suburbs. Two other trees planted in tribute to Halimi were vandalised and sawn down in 2019 in the southern suburb of Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois, where Halimi was found dying near a railway track. Reported antisemitic acts in France surged from 436 in 2022 to 1,676 in 2023, before dipping to 1,570 last year, according to the interior ministry.
News18
3 hours ago
- News18
Sri Aurobindo: Celebrating The 153rd Birth Anniversary Of Master Geostrategist
The unique aspect of Sri Aurobindo is that, despite having grand and lofty visions, he was extremely practical and prescient There are very few yogis who are also geostrategists. Similarly, there are very few darshaniks who are also great politicians. Sri Aurobindo is one of those rare few who lived many lives in one, as Peter Heehs has pointed out in his book The Lives of Sri Aurobindo. Sri Aurobindo was a Renaissance man. He was a linguist, educationist, poet, essayist, translator, literary critic, futurist, internationalist, and, above all, a lover of India and her spiritual truth. We are not used to thinking of Sri Aurobindo as a geostrategist. But he was a great one, as I intend to show here. It is instructive even now, 75 years after he physically left us, to review his key motifs for India's resurgence as the standard bearer of spiritual light and a force in global affairs. Some of his ideas are striking and perhaps need to be followed more closely. Sri Aurobindo stood for the renaissance of India in all her dimensions of existence. His vision encompassed the physical strength and development of her people while also emphasising the intellectual, cultural, educational, social, and political resurgence of her people in their immensely proliferative and creative genius. Above all, he stood for the spiritual awakening of India, which has been her core strength ever since her birth more than 4-5 millennia ago. For this, spiritual awakening is critical to humanity's own evolution and the next age of mankind's future. The unique aspect of Sri Aurobindo is that, despite these grand and lofty visions, he was extremely practical and prescient. For example, he identified the dark force behind Hitler early on, while he was still being appeased by most British and French leaders except Winston Churchill in the 1930s. He also accorded a welcome to Stafford Cripps when he came to India with an offer of Dominion Status in 1942. Perhaps if the other national leaders had paid attention to him, India's partition, along with the slaughter and displacement of millions of her citizens, could have been averted. He advocated India's physical freedom insistently and gave us the programme for Aatmanirbharta at the beginning of the 20th century, which we are awakening to now. One of the most extreme of India's revolutionaries, he yet supported the British during World War II. How do we explain this? The way I understand this paradox is that his key message was the upward evolutionary direction of humanity, and whatever aided that movement was right, strategically appropriate, and dharmic. This is why he opposed the Chinese Communist aggression during the Korean War. In the same spirit, he gave his blessings to a closer alignment of India and the US early on, after India's independence. His dream of a united Europe and the rise of Asia has come to pass. So has his dream of a politically and physically free India. Yet is there more to be done if we are to adhere to his aspiration for his beloved people and nation? First, education. For without an education that stimulates the young minds and pushes them to question and explore life in an original manner, India would never have the brainpower it sorely needs to recover her ancient greatness. Then, discovering her own genius and national soul. Without realising its own svabhava and svadharma, India would always be weak and inauthentic. And this could happen only with a true independence of spirit and self-confidence. If we are to follow his geostrategic guidance, these are the lines we need to follow. First, be strong. Strong in every aspect of human life: physically, culturally, mentally, economically, and finally, spiritually. Second, stand up for dharma. Stand up for the truth and be firm in your adherence. India may need to be diplomatic about this stance until she is truly strong, but this aspect of her USP (unique selling proposition, as they say in management) must gradually become a part of her national discourse. Third, each Indian must have the opportunity to develop and grow to the fullest, without the limitations of race, religion, language, region, or caste. India needs to be deeply spiritual and yet modern in outlook, and must create new forms to express her ancient genius. This thirst is what can truly transform our nation and create a unity that transcends all limitations and barriers. The next decade will be tricky, turbulent, and even dangerous for the nation in its path towards becoming viksit. It is my belief that adherence to his path will not only help India survive but also let it thrive like no other country. Any leadership needs to be judged by these standards and these standards alone. The rest all is transient and superficial in the national and international life of India. August 15 is Sri Aurobindo's birthday. This is also the 75th year of his physical passing. As we remember and invoke his leadership and remind ourselves of his astute pointers in global positioning, it may be worth realising that our work in bringing India to his vision is not fulfilled yet. When we are able to do so, only then can India be a true Vishwaguru and truly viksit. Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: August 16, 2025, 00:02 IST News opinion Opinion | Sri Aurobindo: Celebrating The 153rd Birth Anniversary Of Master Geostrategist Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
