Closure of Israeli stands at Le Bourget: "Offensive weapons should not have been present," says Bayrou

The "morally unacceptable" situation in Gaza requires us to express "disapproval" and "distance," Prime Minister François Bayrou declared on Monday, explaining the closure of Israeli stands at the Paris Air Show, where "offensive weapons should not have been present."

"France considers that this is a terrible situation for the people of Gaza, a situation that is extremely difficult from a human and humanitarian point of view, and from a security point of view. France wanted to demonstrate that offensive weapons should not be present," the Prime Minister told the press after opening the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget.

This major gathering of the aviation and defense industries is marked this year by the closure of Israeli stands displaying offensive weapons, by decision of the French government. "We absolutely want to show disapproval and distance," the Prime Minister explained, adding:

"We cannot starve a people, we cannot ensure that they no longer have access to humanitarian aid."

"From the beginning, we have provided a clear framework, which has been shared with the Israelis, namely: the ban on exhibiting offensive weapons at the Paris Air Show. The Israeli embassy in Paris has given its agreement to this," the Quai d'Orsay explained.

Of the nine Israeli companies exhibiting at the show, four complied with this framework, according to a diplomatic source. However, "five companies refused to comply with the decision by exhibiting offensive equipment or its representations," according to the same source.

The stands of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Rafael, Uvision, Elbit, and Aeronautics were surrounded by vast black fabric panels, effectively closing them on the first day of the world's largest air show. In a statement, the Israeli government denounced this as a "scandalous and unprecedented decision" that creates "segregation" for Israeli exhibitors.

Marine Le Pen denounced on X a decision by the French government taken "unilaterally and without any serious justification", condemning "unacceptable discrimination, particularly in the current geopolitical context".