'A Public Humiliation': Israeli Stands Covered at Paris Air Show

Overnight, French authorities blocked all Israeli stands at the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget with partitions and curtains, preventing access to all visitors and obscuring the displays of Israeli systems.

Dr. Ron Tomer, President of the Manufacturers Association, angrily responded to the covering of the Israeli pavilion at the Paris Air Show - a black cover with the logos of the Israeli companies protruding above. According to Dr. Tomer, this happened despite prior discussions and arrangements from which Israel understood that the French government would allow a display at the site, and proof of this - the companies set up stands and sent workers. "We are surprised by the closure of the stands without a proper warning. This is a public humiliation that recalls forgotten events such as the Dreyfus trial and it seems to have been done in the dark so as not to give us a chance to deal with it," added the President of the Manufacturers Association. The defense industries market the highest technology products and are sought after worldwide, and even such a cheap humiliation trick will not stop the demands for them.

It should be noted that the 55th Paris Air Show will open this morning, after legal wrangling in the last two years, in which the French government tried to prevent the opening of the Israeli stands at various security fairs. Among the exhibitors this year: the aviation industry, Elbit Systems, and Rafael, which intended to display its innovative laser system for rocket interception.