UK Bars Israel From London Defense Expo Over New Gaza Offensive

The British government said Friday in a statement that Israel’s escalation in Gaza is “wrong” and “as a result,” no Israeli government delegation would be invited to attend the DSEI UK event, which runs Sept. 9-12 in London. Israel slammed what it called the UK’s “deliberate and regrettable act of discrimination” and said it would withdraw from the exhibition.

It’s the latest escalation in diplomatic tensions between Israel and its key European allies over Gaza. The Palestinian territory has been devastated by Israel’s campaign to destroy Hamas in the wake of that group’s attack on Oct. 7, 2023, and a United Nations-backed body last week declared a famine in the Mediterranean strip of about 2 million people. Israeli troops are currently preparing an assault on Gaza City in a final push to destroy the Iran-backed Hamas.

The UK has already sanctioned senior members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration, suspended some arms licenses to the country and promised to recognize Palestine next month unless Israel agrees to end the conflict in Gaza.

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“There must be a diplomatic solution to end this war now, with an immediate ceasefire, the return of the hostages and a surge in humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza,” the UK government said in its statement. 

The move to bar Israeli government and military officials has echoes of a decision by the French government in June to block off the exhibits of several Israeli weapons makers at the Paris Air Show. Organizers, acting under instructions from the French government, erected a black wall to hide displays from firms including missile-defense systems maker Israel Aerospace Industries, drone builder Elbit Systems and Iron Dome developers Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. 

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Israel said that while it won’t establish a national pavilion at the London event, it will provide full support to companies from the nation which choose to participate. The exhibition provides a key opportunity for the global defense industry to market military hardware and technologies. 

“At a time when Israel is engaged on multiple fronts against Islamist extremists and terrorist organizations – forces that also threaten the West and international shipping lanes – this decision by Britain plays into the hands of extremists, grants legitimacy to terrorism, and introduces political considerations wholly inappropriate for a professional defense industry exhibition,” the Israeli government said. 

With assistance from Galit Altstein.

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