Israel’s Faltering International Stance—and a Looming Boycott
Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel, September 7
In an unprecedented yet hardly surprising move, the British Labour government has barred representatives of Israel’s Ministry of Defense from participating in the prestigious Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition currently underway in London. A government spokesman justified the decision by citing Israel’s intention to expand the war in Gaza, insisting that Israeli government participation was conditional upon the Israel Defense Forces’ adherence to international law.
While Israeli defense companies are still permitted to exhibit, the absence of official backing from the Ministry of Defense is expected to weigh heavily on some firms that depend on state support, limiting Israel’s presence at the show and threatening to damage its blue-and-white industries. This defiant but calculated maneuver by the British—targeting only the Ministry of Defense—was designed to sidestep accusations that it was blocking competition between leading Israeli defense corporations such as Rafael, Israel Aerospace Industries, and Elbit Systems, and their European rivals.
The tactic also seeks to avoid the backlash that engulfed French President Emmanuel Macron after Israel’s exclusion from the Paris Air Show earlier this year. Such exhibitions are not mere displays; they serve as crucial platforms for unveiling new technologies, building brands, securing customers, forging partnerships, and competing for strategic tenders. They are also indispensable venues for mapping competitors and gauging market trends in real time. Yet Israel now finds itself sidelined from two of Europe’s largest defense showcases in the same year, with a looming boycott from an upcoming exhibition in the Netherlands. This trend should set off alarm bells.
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Europeans may mask their actions with the usual hypocrisy, avoiding a substantive discussion of the war in Gaza while conveniently undermining Israel’s economy and sidestepping the deeper questions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict after October 7. In this context, the British decision delivers a pointed political message, diminishing Israel’s visibility and access to key markets. The tangible consequences are already clear: weakened prospects for deals, lost opportunities for collaboration, reduced exposure, and heightened competition.
More than that, it represents a geopolitical signal with potential ripple effects across economic and security ties between Israel and Europe. Responsibility, however, does not rest solely in London or Paris—it lies squarely in Jerusalem. The exclusion of Israeli defense companies from Europe’s major exhibitions reflects not only potential business losses but a sweeping failure of government management. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to dismiss the mounting damage to Israel’s economy, industries, and international standing caused by the prolongation of the Gaza campaign.
The Foreign Ministry, under Gideon Sa’ar, is consumed by petty disputes, such as daily condemnations of Australia, while failing to confront the rising tide of international criticism that is fast becoming an economic and political tsunami. The Economy Ministry, led by Nir Barkat, has shown its inability to protect essential markets, exposing its helplessness in safeguarding growth.
The result is a familiar pattern of failure: shrinking state revenue, reduced tax income, and deeper pain for ordinary citizens already buckling under soaring living costs. Yet the defense sector itself is anything but weak. It enjoys a sterling global reputation. The IDF’s battlefield performance—whether in Gaza, along Israel’s borders, or even in operations involving Iran—has only heightened international demand for Israeli weapons, as reflected in the robust defense export report.
The flourishing local defense-tech sector, known for rapid innovation, agile solutions, and proven operational success, should ensure Israel a leading position in the global defense arena. But this promise can only be realized if the government does not obstruct it. Instead of stumbling from failure to failure, Israel’s leadership must do everything possible to safeguard and empower the industries that bolster the country’s strength. That path, however, runs through difficult but unavoidable choices: securing the release of all hostages and bringing the war to an end—sooner rather than later.
Avi Kalo (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)
