The Paris Commercial Court overturned a decision by the organizers of the European defense exhibition Euronival to prevent some Israeli companies from participating in the event.
The court ordered the organizers to “suspend the implementation of the measures taken against Israeli exhibiting companies whose booths were banned at Euronival 2024, until the closing date of the exhibition,” which is organized from the fourth of November to the seventh of November, according to what was stated in the ruling issued yesterday, Wednesday.
The organizers of the Euronival exhibition, which is dedicated to the maritime defense sector, indicated that it would not host Israeli pavilions or equipment in its next edition, at the request of the French government.
But the French government later indicated that Israeli companies are welcome at this exhibition, provided that they do not display equipment used in military operations in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.
The French government said in a statement, “A ban on the participation of Israeli companies in trade fairs in France has never been proposed,” stressing that “willing Israeli companies will be able to participate in Euronival.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz welcomed the French court’s decision and described it as an “important decision.”
“It is an important victory for justice and a clear message against attempts to weaken Israel in its war against the forces of evil,” Katz said in a post by Katz on the X platform.
Five months ago, France banned Israeli companies from participating in the Eurosatori arms exhibition in Paris, as part of its efforts to pressure Tel Aviv to end its military operations in Gaza.
Diplomatic relations between France and Israel are witnessing escalating tension, especially after French President Emmanuel Macron called for a ban on the supply of weapons that could be used in the war on Gaza and Lebanon.
The Euronival exhibition is considered the most prominent exhibition in the field of naval weapons in the world, and the company “Masvenot Yisrael” was scheduled to participate in it, which was planning to establish a large pavilion on an area of tens of meters to display its products, including the ship “Reshef 80” and the ship “Mini Shaldag.” , designated for monitoring and interception missions, according to the Israeli newspaper Calcalist.
