The British government has blocked Israeli officials from attending a major defense conference in London next month, amid continued criticism of the campaign in Gaza.
A spokesman for the UK government told POLITICO that Israeli Defense Ministry would not be invited to DSEI, a huge exhibition of weapons and other military equipment which takes place in London every other year.
Israeli arms companies will however be able to take part in DSEI as normal, according to Whitehall officials, and their presence is expected to draw large-scale protests.
The spokesman said: “The Israeli government’s decision to further escalate its military operation in Gaza is wrong. As a result, we can confirm that no Israeli government delegation will be invited to attend DSEI UK 2025.”
“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 spokesman added.
The move by the British government follows scenes of confusion at the Paris Air Show in June, when Israeli firms were ordered to remove some weapons from display and refused to comply.
Organisers shut down the four main Israeli defence company stands at the Paris Airshow for refusing to remove bombs and other offensive weapons from their displays.
The airshow organisers say they’re engaging in dialogue to resolve the dispute. pic.twitter.com/FUKk3iI1Mg
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) June 16, 2025
Officials close to the British decision said the Israeli government had been informed, and that the ban could be lifted if it demonstrated a commitment to upholding international humanitarian law in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
“Harmful, Disgraceful Move”
Responding to the decision, the Israeli Defense Ministry said the British Government’s move was “harmful and disgraceful.”
It said it “will not establish a national pavilion at the exhibition, though Israeli defense industries that choose to attend will still receive full ministry support.”
The Israeli ministry criticized the decision as a political step that “serves extremists, grants legitimacy to terror, and is driven by political considerations that fall outside the professional and customary framework of international defense exhibitions.”
Source: Politico and Israeli media (edited by Al-Manar)
