The entire world is a showcase for Israel’s military might, not just defence exhibitions

France has reneged on its earlier decision to prevent eight Israel companies from participating in the Milipol Paris exhibition on security and defence, which will be held in November this year. According to Israeli media, France asserted that the reversed decision was “not the result of Israeli pressure.” Even though Israel had swiftly warned France of dire consequences in diplomatic relations as a result of the ban. The public is expected to believe that Israel, whose technology is sought globally, had nothing whatsoever to do with the reversal. Not even media reports in Israel are buying this narrative.

Israel said it was surprised by the ban, given the ceasefire in Gaza – a ceasefire that was violated multiple times and which is only serving to entrench military occupation in the enclave. A ceasefire, it seems, has the potential to absolve Israel of genocide. Hence, why would France object to a previously – also currently – genocidal entity participating in a defence expo during ceasefire time?

While France accommodates Israel’s weapons display, it also announced it will participate in a committee along with the Palestinian Authority to draw up a constitution for the State of Palestine. France has been at the helm of similar initiatives before, and is just one example of how Western countries support for Palestine is always still based upon Israel’s exigencies. Never mind that Israel has declared there will never be a Palestinian state. The fact is that the two-state paradigm in diplomatic jargon enables Israel’s colonial expansion.

Israel’s declaration which completely rejects a Palestinian state, would not exist without its military might. France is accommodating its presence in the fair. Countries around the world have become dependent upon Israeli defence technology; the same countries that voice support for, and some have also recognised, a hypothetical, symbolic Palestinian state.

At the Paris Airshow in  June this year, France blocked out Israeli weapons with black partition walls, prompting Israeli officials to use the antisemitic card. The concealment, according to Israeli Aerospace Industries president and CEO Boaz Levy, was a reminder “of the dark days when Jews were segmented from European society.” The reason behind the move, however, was that the offensive weapons could have been used in Gaza.

And yet, France’s main contention during the genocide was humanitarian aid, thus exposing the hypocrisy of contention over an exhibition but not over Israel’s use of its military technology in Gaza. The same can be said of almost the entire international community, dependent as it is on Israeli surveillance systems.

Gaza keeps making the news, and has also become a catchphrase for diplomatic spats. Israel was purportedly shocked by the earlier decision to ban eight companies from participating since there is an announced ceasefire in Gaza, while France cited pro-Palestine protests as the reason why the companies should not be allowed to participate. Gaza’s exploitation is relentless, and when it comes to decision-making, Gaza is still swiftly marginalised to accommodate the Israeli security narrative – in this case represented by the military technology that spells violence.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20251113-the-entire-world-is-a-showcase-for-israels-military-might-not-just-defence-exhibitions/