Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yisrael Katz, stated that they will initiate legal action against French President Emmanuel Macron, who banned Israeli companies from participating in a maritime fair.

Yisrael Katz, Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced on Sunday that they have given instructions to start legal proceedings against French President Emmanuel Macron, following Paris’s ban on Israeli companies from participating in an upcoming military maritime trade fair.

WHAT HAPPENED?

It was alleged that France would not allow Israeli companies to participate in the international naval defense fair Euronaval in Paris. According to a report based on a source close to Politico, Israeli companies were reportedly prohibited from entering the international naval defense fair Euronaval, scheduled to take place in the capital Paris from 4-7 November. As the decision to ban Israeli companies from the fair had not been officially announced, the source who spoke to Politico under the condition of anonymity mentioned that the Israeli delegation would be granted permission to attend the fair, but Israeli firms would be forbidden from showcasing their military equipment. Euronaval, one of the international fairs in the maritime defense systems sector hosting hundreds of companies, is set to take place at the Nord Villepinte Exhibition Center in Paris. Israel had also been banned from participating in Eurosatory, a leading international event in the defense and security industry sector. The main organizer of the fair in Paris, Coges Events, had announced that “there will be no Israeli defense industry stands in the 2024 Eurosatory Fair Hall as decided by the government authorities.” Calls are being made in the international community to ban Israel from international events due to its ongoing attacks on Gaza and Lebanon.