Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday that his ministry will take “legal and diplomatic measures” against France’s decision to bar Israeli companies from exhibiting at the Euronaval defense show.
“I ordered Foreign Ministry personnel to assist in taking legal proceedings and diplomatic activity against French President Macron's decision not to allow Israeli companies to present their products at the Euronaval exhibition that will open in Paris next month,” Katz wrote on social media site X.
“Boycotting the Israeli companies for the second time, or imposing unacceptable threshold conditions, are undemocratic steps that are not acceptable between friendly countries and I call on French President Macron to cancel them completely,” he added.
“Israel stands alone at the forefront of the fight against the Iranian axis of evil and extremist Islam, and France and the entire free world must stand by it - and not act against it,” stated Katz.
Last Wednesday, organizers of the major Euronaval defense show announced that Israeli delegations taking part in the show will not be permitted to set up any stand or exhibit hardware.
"The French government informed Euronaval of its decision to approve the participation of Israeli delegations at Euronaval 2024, without any stand or exhibition of equipment," said the organizers of the show which is due to start on November 4 in Paris, as quoted by the AFP news agency.
Euronaval, a biennial event that attracts naval defense exhibitors from around the world, said seven Israeli companies are affected by the decision.
"In accordance with the French government's decision, Israeli companies and citizens who wish to attend will be welcomed at the show under the conditions listed above," it added.
The decision comes amid tense relations between France and Israel. Macron has grown increasingly critical of Israel’s counterterrorism operations in Gaza and Lebanon.
Two weeks ago, the French President said that "stopping the export of weapons" used by Israel in Gaza and Lebanon was the only way to end fighting there.
"We all know it. It's the unique lever that would end it," Macron said at a summit of European and Mediterranean leaders in Cyprus.
Macron also claimed that Israel was “deliberately targeting” UNIFIL peacekeepers in Lebanon and said this was "absolutely unacceptable".
Those comments were the second time in a week that Macron has called for a halt on arms deliveries to Israel. Netanyahu responded to Macron’s first call and said, "As Israel fights the forces of barbarism led by Iran, all civilized countries should be standing firmly by Israel’s side. Yet President Macron and other western leaders are now calling for arms embargoes against Israel."
"Shame on them. Is Iran imposing an arms embargo on Hezbollah, on the Houthis, on Hamas and on its other proxies? Of course not. This axis of terror stands together. But countries who supposedly oppose this terror axis call for an arms embargo on Israel. What a disgrace!" he added.
He promised, "Israel will win with or without their support. But their shame will continue long after the war is won."
On Tuesday, Macron said that Netanyahu should not fail to forget that a UN resolution created Israel and, as such, “he should not liberate himself from the decisions of the UN.”
Later, Netanyahu spoke to Macron and told him that he opposes a unilateral ceasefire, while also clarifying that Israel would not agree to any arrangement that does not provide this and which does not stop Hezbollah from rearming and regrouping.
The Prime Minister's Office stated following the conversation, "A reminder to the French President: It was not a UN decision that established the State of Israel but the victory that was achieved in the War of Independence with the blood of our heroic fighters, many of whom were Holocaust survivors, including from the Vichy regime in France."
"It would also be worthwhile to recall that in recent decades, the UN has approved hundreds of antisemitic decisions against the State of Israel, the purpose of which is to deny the one and only Jewish state's right to exist and its ability to defend itself."