NGOs sue Paris Air Show for showcasing Israeli arms companies
A coalition of advocacy groups filed a legal complaint aiming to halt the Paris Air Show this year, following its announcement to host Israeli arms companies while the Tel Aviv regime continues its relentless ground and aerial attacks on Palestinians in Gaza.
In alignment with 145 organizations, parties, collectives, and unions, the leaders of the left-wing factions within the Seine-Saint-Denis departmental council, supported by Socialist president Stéphane Troussel, urged for the exclusion of Israeli companies from the biennial show, due to the war crimes perpetrated by the Israeli military in Gaza.
The complaint was filed against SIAE, a subsidiary of the French Aerospace Industries Association (GIFAS), which organizes the event.
The complaint says SIAE is promoting and allowing the participation of companies, delegations and intermediaries suspected of being directly or indirectly involved in international crimes (war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide) in the Palestinian territories.
The complaint is being brought by the al-Haq, French Jewish Union for Peace (UJFP), Attac, Stop Fueling War (SFW) and Survive.
The 55th edition of the Paris Air Show is set to take place from June 16 to 22 at the Parc des Expositions in Paris.
The legal action comes as the Israeli military resumed bombardment of Gaza on March 18, killing thousands of Palestinians, and injuring many others, after it shattered the 2-month ceasefire agreement with the Palestinian group Hamas and the deal on the exchange of Israeli captives with Palestinian abductees.
At least 53,901 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and another 122,593 individuals injured in the brutal Israeli military onslaught on Gaza since October 7, 2023.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former minister of military affairs Yoav Gallant, citing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the besieged coastal territory.
