A dozen Israeli company stands were shut down on Monday at a major international defence and security exhibition outside Paris, after French authorities enforced restrictions on the display of Israeli military equipment amid growing scrutiny of Israel 's war on Gaza.
The closures come amid continuing tensions between France and Israel over the war, which is widely agreed to be a genocide by leading human rights experts. France recognised Palestinian statehood last year , while two far-right Israeli ministers have recently been barred from entering the country.
The stands at the Eurosatory arms and security trade show were "closed due to non-compliance with participation conditions set by the French authorities", organiser Coges Events said in a statement to AFP .
It said it was required to enforce decisions taken by the French authorities.
"As a result, 12 booths had to be closed," Charles Beaudouin, head of Coges Events, said in the statement.
France has prohibited the display of Israeli offensive weapons at the 2026 edition of the exhibition and limited Israeli participation to "equipment and products exclusively related to air defence and ballistic missile defence capabilities", he added.
The restrictions mark the second time France has acted against Israeli exhibitors at the event since Israel launched its war on Gaza in 2023. Israel's military campaign has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and devastated much of the enclave.
Israel also faces mounting international legal scrutiny. The International Court of Justice is hearing a case accusing Israel of violating the Genocide Convention, while the International Criminal Court has sought arrest warrants for senior Israeli leaders over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Israeli officials reacted lashed out at the decision. The Israeli defence ministry said the Israeli pavilions had been boarded up "despite these companies having met the French government's outrageous demands".
The ministry accused France of attempting "to conceal Israeli technological superiority from the world".
While the booths of three major Israeli defence contractors, including Israel Aerospace Industries and Rafael, remained open on Monday, none displayed weapon models in public view, unlike exhibitors from other countries, according to an AFP journalist at the event.
Israel's ambassador to France, Joshua Zarka, described the French authorities' treatment of Israeli companies as unacceptable.
"France is losing a large share of this international market," Zarka told AFP . "And the way it is responding is by engaging in competition that is inadequate and frankly unfair."
At his now-closed booth, Amit Manor, chief executive of Amit Industries, said he was "quite surprised" by the decision.
He said his company produces electric batteries used in drones, communication systems and robots.
According to Manor, a French government team had previously approved his participation before later informing him that the "booth is closed".
The Eurosatory exhibition is taking place from 15 to 19 June at an exhibition centre north of Paris.