Israel condemns black partition walls around its pavilions at Paris Air Show

Israel's ministry of defence has condemned the erection of black partition walls around its defence industry pavilions at the Paris Air Show, calling the move “outrageous and unprecedented” and demanding an immediate reversal by French authorities and the organisers of the prestigious event.

The walls appeared overnight ahead of the air show's opening on Monday, visually isolating Israeli booths from dozens of other international exhibitors. Israeli officials say the move followed a last-minute demand from organisers to remove offensive weapons systems from display — a request they rejected.

“The French are hiding behind supposedly political considerations to exclude Israeli offensive weapons from an international exhibition — weapons that compete with French industries,” the ministry said in a statement on Monday, calling the action “ugly and improper”.

A French appeals court on Friday ruled against activist groups who sought to block Israeli companies from participating in the show owing to Israeli military action in Gaza. Despite the legal green light, Israel says it was effectively censored.

Sylvain Pavillet, a lawyer working with the air show organisers, said the final decision on who is allowed to exhibit lies with the French government, not the show itself. “The fair is not the one who decides which countries are allowed to go to the show,” Pavillet told The Associated Press. “That decision belongs to the government. We are not a state. We are a commercial company.”

The Paris Air Show, held at Le Bourget Airport, is one of the world's largest and most prestigious events for the aerospace and defence industry.

The Emmanuel Macron-led French government has tried to hold a balanced position on Gaza, combining humanitarian concern with political strategy and regional diplomacy. President Macron has consistently insisted on an immediate and durable ceasefire in Gaza, condemning Israel's relentless bombing and stressing the urgent need to reopen humanitarian corridors.

He recently described the situation as "intolerable" and called for the resumption of aid distribution and release of hostages held by Palestinian militant outfit Hamas.

He has also vehemently rejected any strategy that involves displacing Gazans, as proposed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump. In a CNN interview, he stated: “You cannot say to 2 million people, ‘Okay, now guess what? You will move',” warning that treating Gaza as a "real estate project" is "politically and ethically wrong".

France is preparing to co-chair a major UN conference on a two-state solution this month, alongside Saudi Arabia. Macron has made clear he is ready to formally recognise a Palestinian state in the coming months, potentially during the June UN summit, which was initially scheduled for 17-20 June but has since been postponed.

He, however, emphasises that such recognition must exclude Hamas and is contingent on reforms within the Palestinian Authority, especially its governance of Gaza. Macron is effectively pushing for a post-war framework that involves:

• Disarming Hamas and transferring authority in Gaza to a more 'credible', reformed Palestinian Authority

• Coordinating with Egypt and the US to solidify ceasefire negotiations and facilitate humanitarian aid to Gaza

• Using France and the EU’s leverage — through diplomatic or potential economic sanctions — to discourage illegal Israeli settlements

While affirming Israel’s right to self-defence — in light of the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas that reportedly killed 1,200 Israelis and caused around 250 to be taken hostage, triggering retaliatory attacks by Israel — Macron warns against indiscriminate strikes that harm civilians, particularly in Rafah. He also condemns anti-Zionism that veers into antisemitism.

In short, his approach seeks to position France — and the EU — as decisive brokers in ending the Gaza crisis, bridging divides between Israeli security and Palestinian statehood.

With AP inputs