Israel condemns black partition walls around its pavilions at Paris Air Show

PARIS (AP) — France's government ordered black partition walls erected around Israeli defense industry exhibits displaying offensive weapons at the Paris Air Show, because of the war in Gaza and rising tensions in the Mideast. Israel's Defense Ministry demanded a reversal of the decision.

A French appeals court had ruled Friday against activist groups who sought to block Israeli companies from participating in the show due to Israel's actions in Gaza. The Paris Air Show, held at Le Bourget north of Paris, is one of the world’s largest and most prestigious events for the aerospace and defense industry.

The black walls appeared overnight ahead of the show’s opening Monday, visually isolating Israeli booths from dozens of other international exhibitors.

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said the decision was made to allow Israeli companies to display their aviation technology but no offensive weapons, "given the situation in the region, the extreme tensions ... given France's diplomatic choices, notably concern about Gaza.''

Bayrou said the Israeli Embassy and companies were informed in advance of the restriction and that some complied, but others didn't. As a result the displays were covered up, ‘’I hope temporarily.''

The Israeli Defense Ministry said the demand to remove offensive weapons displays came at the last minute.

“The French are hiding behind supposedly political considerations to exclude Israeli offensive weapons from an international exhibition — weapons that compete with French industries,” the ministry said in a statement Monday, calling the action “ugly and improper.”

An array of offensive weapons are on display elsewhere at the Paris Air Show, among the most prominent being French, including its Rafale fighter jets, cruise missiles and other hardware. Bayrou officially opened the air show Monday.

A French official said Israeli exhibitors were told weeks ago that they couldn’t exhibit offensive weaponry, and that the walls were erected as a last resort when five didn’t comply. Four others did and are allowed to exhibit. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the details.

The French prime minister drew a distinction between Israel's recent attacks on Iran and its actions in Gaza.

‘’I have never underestimated the risk that Iran and Iran's preparation of nuclear weapons creates for the whole region, for the whole world,'' Bayrou said.

“The situation in Gaza, it touches, it injures, it repulses a large number of our compatriots, including those who are friends of Israel,'' he said.

Israel's actions in Gaza since the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, have prompted protests and concerns in France, especially the blockage of humanitarian aid in recent months.

Air show organizers said the decision on which countries are allowed to exhibit lies with the French government.

Two women angry with the French decision drew an Israeli flag and graffiti on the black partitions around the stand for Israeli company Rafael, accusing the French government of discrimination. Security personnel then covered up the graffiti with black plastic.

Shlomo Toaff, head of Rafael’s air defense systems division, couldn't enter his company's small display area Monday morning, and said he planned to pursue emergency legal action to try to restore access.

“These weapons are used by the Israeli government in a legal way in order to protect our people and in order to free the hostages,'' he told the AP.

“We hope that maybe somebody will come to their senses and reopen our show,'' he added. ‘’Anybody that is for a free world, free business, freedom of speech should be outraged by this.''

A small group of activists demonstrating outside the air show said the French government’s action wasn’t nearly strong enough. They protested Israel’s attacks on Gaza as well as countries and companies that deliver weapons to Israel or buy from Israeli weapons makers.

Associated Press writers Angela Charlton and Thomas Adamson in Paris, and Julia Frankel and Yesica Fisch in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Visitors watch a Rafale fighter jet at the Paris Air Show, Monday, June 16, 2025 in Le Bourget, north of Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Activists stage a protest outside the Paris Airshow, Monday, June 16, 2025 in Le Bourget, outside Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Riot police officers patrol by the blocked Rafael stand and Israeli pavilions at the Paris Air Show , Monday, June 16, 2025 in Le Bourget, north of Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

People stand by a black wall that blocks the Israeli pavilions has been erected at the Paris Air Show , Monday, June 16, 2025 in Le Bourget, north of Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

An Israeli flag is seen next to a black wall that blocks the Israeli pavilions erected at the Paris Air Show , Monday, June 16, 2025 in Le Bourget, north of Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

A black wall that blocks the Israeli pavilions has been erected at the Paris Air Show , Monday, June 16, 2025 in Le Bourget, north of Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

Riot police officers patrol by the Israeli pavilions at the Paris Air Show , Monday, June 16, 2025 in Le Bourget, north of Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

ALEPPO, Syria (AP) — First responders on Sunday entered a contested neighborhood in Syria’ s northern city of Aleppo after days of deadly clashes between government forces and Kurdish-led forces. Syrian state media said the military was deployed in large numbers.

The clashes broke out Tuesday in the predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh and Bani Zaid after the government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, the main Kurdish-led force in the country, failed to make progress on how to merge the SDF into the national army. Security forces captured Achrafieh and Bani Zaid.

The fighting between the two sides was the most intense since the fall of then-President Bashar Assad to insurgents in December 2024. At least 23 people were killed in five days of clashes and more than 140,000 were displaced amid shelling and drone strikes.

The U.S.-backed SDF, which have played a key role in combating the Islamic State group in large swaths of eastern Syria, are the largest force yet to be absorbed into Syria's national army. Some of the factions that make up the army, however, were previously Turkish-backed insurgent groups that have a long history of clashing with Kurdish forces.

The Kurdish fighters have now evacuated from the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood to northeastern Syria, which is under the control of the SDF. However, they said in a statement they will continue to fight now that the wounded and civilians have been evacuated, in what they called a “partial ceasefire.”

The neighborhood appeared calm Sunday. The United Nations said it was trying to dispatch more convoys to the neighborhoods with food, fuel, blankets and other urgent supplies.

Government security forces brought journalists to tour the devastated area, showing them the damaged Khalid al-Fajer Hospital and a military position belonging to the SDF’s security forces that government forces had targeted.

The SDF statement accused the government of targeting the hospital “dozens of times” before patients were evacuated. Damascus accused the Kurdish-led group of using the hospital and other civilian facilities as military positions.

On one street, Syrian Red Crescent first responders spoke to a resident surrounded by charred cars and badly damaged residential buildings.

Some residents told The Associated Press that SDF forces did not allow their cars through checkpoints to leave.

“We lived a night of horror. I still cannot believe that I am right here standing on my own two feet,” said Ahmad Shaikho. “So far the situation has been calm. There hasn’t been any gunfire.”

Syrian Civil Defense first responders have been disarming improvised mines that they say were left by the Kurdish forces as booby traps.

Residents who fled are not being allowed back into the neighborhood until all the mines are cleared. Some were reminded of the displacement during Syria’s long civil war.

“I want to go back to my home, I beg you,” said Hoda Alnasiri.

Associated Press journalist Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut contributed to this report.

Sandbag barriers used as fighting positions by Kurdish fighters, left inside a destroyed mosque in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Burned vehicles at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

People flee the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

A Syrian military police convoy enters the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Burned vehicles and ammunitions left at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)