Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday blasted French President Emmanuel Macron after Israeli delegations were banned from exhibiting at the Euronaval defense show.
“French President Macron’s actions are a disgrace to the French nation and the values of the free world, which he claims to uphold. The decision to discriminate against Israeli defense industries in France a second time - aids Israel’s enemies during war. This builds on the decision to place an arms embargo on the Jewish State,” said Gallant.
“France has adopted, and is consistently implementing a hostile policy towards the Jewish people. We will continue defending our nation against enemies on seven different fronts, and fighting for our future - with or without France,” he added.
Gallant’s comments came hours after organizers of the major Euronaval defense show, which is set to take place in France next month, 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.
Just last week, 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."
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Sukkot in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)