Tikvah
Editors’ Pick

June 30, 2025

The Real Reason France Tried to Shut Israel Out of the Paris Air Show

The French arms industry is struggling to compete.

The biennial Paris Air Show is the place where producers of the latest military aircraft go to show off their wares, and where potential buyers go to see them. At the most recent show, which took place the weekend before last, French authorities set up black barriers around exhibits of offensive weapons by Israeli companies, citing “the situation in Gaza.” The move seemed like a typical instance of European governments’ penchant for symbolically lashing out at Israeli. Some quipped that Israel gave a much better, real-life demonstration of its aerial capabilities over the skies of Iran while the show was going on.

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