Protesters call for end to Israeli weapons sales at world's largest arms fair

French district court bars representatives of Israeli companies from Eurosatory event, days after officials banned Israeli exhibits

Protesters gather outside the Eurosatory arms fair, which opened in Paris on Monday. AP

Protesters gathered outside one of the world’s largest arms expo on Monday to call for an end to weapons sales to Israel, days after companies from the country were banned from the event in Paris.

A French district court has prevented representatives from Israeli companies from visiting the Eurosatory arms fair because their participation would present "a concern of clear illegality", French media reported.

The ruling to ban "Israeli delegations, intermediaries and companies in any form" is to be posted at all entrances to the show as part of the order, said Palestinian rights group Al Haq, which presented the case alongside French NGOs.

The French government announced in May that Israeli companies would be banned from exhibiting at the fair, after Israel began ground operations in the southern Gazan city of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians were sheltering from the war.

“Conditions are no longer met to host Israeli companies at the show at a time when the President [Emmanuel Macron] is calling for Israel to cease operations in Rafah,” the French Defence Ministry said last month.

Israel joined Russia and Belarus on the list of countries banned from participating at the event, which runs until June 21. Israel Aerospace Industries, Elbit Systems and Rafael Advanced Defence Systems were among the 74 Israeli companies scheduled to take part in the event. Ten planned to exhibit weapons, organiser Coges Events said previously.

Israel Aerospace Industries planned to exhibit its Drone Guard Gen 5 defence system and its Barak MX integrated missile system, a brochure on its website shows. Elbit was to present its PULS multiple-rocket launcher and the Sigma next-generation howitzer, it told US publication Defense News before the ban was announced.

Coges Events plans to appeal the decision, The Times of Israel reported.

The court reviewed evidence given by Al Haq and its French partners on June 6.

The groups said that, despite the initial government ban, there was “still a high risk” the exhibition would contribute to international crimes in Palestine if representatives of Israeli companies were permitted to buy arms at the event.

The case showed how Israeli companies sought to circumvent the government ban by exhibiting at the stands of other companies, while the groups also said “at least seven” subsidiary companies registered for the event were majority-owned by Israeli companies.

"The judges dismissed all Coges arguments and ruled in favour of Al Haq and partners on all grounds," Al Haq said in a statement.

"This decision sets an important precedent, in that it recalls that private companies such as Coges are bound by the law, to prevent any risk of contributing in any way to serious international crimes regardless of the measures taken by the executive."