Israel's minister of defence has slammed French President Emmanuel Macron and called him a 'disgrace' after Israeli delegations were banned from exhibiting at an upcoming defence show near Paris.
Taking to social media on Wednesday, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant posted on X: "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 defence industries in France a second time – aids Israel's enemies during war."
The comments came after France banned Israeli firms from exhibiting at a naval arms trade show next month and is the latest incident in a row fueled by the Macron government's unease over Israel's conduct in the wars in Gaza and Lebanon.
The ban also follows the failure of French efforts to secure a truce in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon and as Israel carries out more airstrikes on targets in the country.
It is the second time this year that France has banned Israel arms manufacturers from a major defence show.
In May, France said the conditions were not right for them to take part in the Eurosatory military trade show when President Macron was calling for Israel to cease operations in Gaza.
Euronaval, organiser of the event set to take place in Paris from 4 to 7 November said in a statement Wednesday that the French government had informed it that Israeli delegations were not allowed to exhibit stands or show equipment, but could attend the trade show.
The decision directly affects some seven Israeli firms.
Macron and Netanyahu
Diplomatic sparring between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Emmanuel Macron has spiked in recent weeks after Paris had worked with Washington to secure a 21-day truce in Lebanon that would then open the door to negotiations on a long-term diplomatic solution.
Believing Israel had agreed to the terms, France and the United States were caught by surprise when the next day Israel launched strikes that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Macron has repeatedly frustrated Netanyahu in recent weeks, following incidents where UN peacekeeping forces were caught in Israeli crossfire in southern Lebanon, and his calls for halting the supply of offensive weapons to Israel in Gaza.
On Tuesday, Macron told a cabinet meeting that Netanyahu should not forget that his country was created by a UN decision.
In response, Netanyahu's office said that Israel was established through "the War of Independence with the blood of our heroic fighters, many of whom were Holocaust survivors, including from the Vichy régime in France" – referring to the French government that had collaborated with Nazi Germany.
(With newswires)
