The French government on Friday filed an appeal against a court ruling that permitted Israeli companies to participate in defense exhibitions, following controversy and criticism of President Emmanuel Macron over the initial ban.
The move aims to block Israeli firms from taking part in future defense events, including the prestigious Paris Air Show.
The appeal, submitted by a government representative for the Paris Prefect of Police, challenges the administrative court’s authority to decide on French government policy. The court’s earlier decision had overturned a prohibition on Israeli companies exhibiting at events such as the recent Euronaval maritime defense show.
Although Euronaval concluded last week, the French government’s appeal seeks to prevent Israeli participation in upcoming exhibitions, with the Paris Air Show — one of the world’s largest defense and aerospace events — likely at the forefront of its concerns.
In late October, the court ruled decisively in favor of a petition by the Israeli Manufacturers Association, Israel Shipyards and the Israel-France Chamber of Commerce, allowing Israeli firms to participate in Euronaval.
In response to the appeal, the Manufacturers Association announced it would continue to fight the French government’s efforts to exclude Israeli companies.
"We regret that French leaders have failed to grasp the message from previous cases: we will not allow anyone to remove or sideline us from the international defense stage," said Dr. Ron Tomer, president of the Manufacturers Association of Israel.
"Israel is a proud sovereign state, equal to any other in the global community, and we would expect that a country like France, which shares democratic values with Israel, including principles of equality and justice, would not discriminate against Israeli companies compared to those from other nations."
Tomer criticized the appeal as an attempt to set the stage for excluding Israeli companies from the Paris Air Show, adding, “We have retained top legal experts in France and will fight in every court necessary to ensure justice and equality. The Israeli flag will proudly fly at every exhibition.”
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