Latest news with #Elbit
The National
a day ago
- Politics
- The National
Labour MP calls for RAF break in group to be banned under terror law
Backbencher David Taylor, who previously unsuccessfully campaigned for Kneecap to be banned from Glastonbury, made the call after a break-in at RAF Brize Norton. Palestine Action members sprayed red paint into the engines of two Airbus Voyager on Thursday evening and said they used crowbars to further damage the planes. It is believed that one of the aircraft targeted is the UK's official VIP jet, used to ferry prime ministers and royals to official visits. Taylor insisted he supported the 'right to peaceful protest' but added: 'Palestine Action has long since crossed the line into criminality. Their latest alleged activity, breaking into RAF Brize Norton and damaging military aircraft, is not protest, it's sabotage. You cannot attack UK military assets. READ MORE: UK's 'Union flag plane damaged' in pro-Palestine RAF break-in 'This group have engaged in illegal activity: smashing into defence sites, vandalising property, and disrupting key infrastructure. These are not isolated incidents; they are part of a coordinated campaign of unlawful direct action.' Palestine Action have vandalised the premises of numerous businesses linked with the Israeli military. Last month, a case against activists for blocking access to Elbit's Instro Precision weapons factory in Kent was thrown out at Margate Magistrates Court. Elbit is a key target of the group because the firm is a key supplier of the Israeli military. Taylor (above) added: 'It is time for the government to take a firmer stance. I believe Palestine Action should now be considered for proscription under the Terrorism Act. We cannot allow groups who glorify and incite violence to operate unchecked under the guise of activism.' Groups proscribed under the Terrorism Act include Hamas and Hezbollah. Declaring support for a proscribed organisation is a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act. READ MORE: UK Government urged to publish legal advice on joining war on Iran Kneecap rapper Liam Og O hAnnaidh – known by the stage name Mo Chara – appeared in Westminster Magistrates Court earlier this week charged with an offence under the act after allegedly flying a Hezbollah flag at a concert. He was released on unconditional bail with his lawyers arguing that the alleged offence took place outside the six-month window required to fall under the court's jurisdiction. Palestine Action was approached for comment.
CBS News
5 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
France closes Israeli firms' Paris Air Show stalls, citing ban on "offensive weapons" displays amid Gaza war
Iran launches new deadly round of strikes against Israel as nuclear weapons tensions rise Le Bourget, France — Geopolitical tensions roiled the opening of the Paris Air Show on Monday as French authorities sealed off Israeli weapons industry booths amid the conflicts in Iran and Gaza, a move that Israel condemned as "outrageous." The decision added drama to the major aerospace industry event, which was already under the shadow of last week's deadly crash of Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Black walls were installed around the stands of five Israeli defense firms at the trade fair in Le Bourget, an airfield on the outskirts of Paris. The booths displayed "offensive weapons" that could be used in Gaza - in violation of agreements with Israeli authorities, a French government source told AFP. A black wall blocks off Israeli aerospace firms' stands, including that of Elbit Systems Ltd., at the Paris Air Show in Paris, in Le Bourget, France, June 16, 2025. Nathan Laine/Bloomberg/Getty The companies - Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Rafael, Uvision, Elbit and Aeronautics - make drones and guided bombs and missiles. An Israeli exhibitor wrote a message in yellow chalk on one of the walls, saying the hidden defense systems "are protecting the state of Israel these days. The French government, in the name of discrimination is trying to hide them from you!" French official says Israeli "offensive weapons" barred amid war in Gaza French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou defended the decision during a Monday press conference at the air show. "The French government's position was very simple: no offensive weapons at the arms exposition," he said. "Defensive weapons were perfectly acceptable." Bayrou cited the ongoing conflict in Gaza as the rationale behind the ban. "Given France's diplomatic choices, in particular the concern, or in any case, very great worries about Gaza, we could not not show that there was a certain distance, which meant that we did not think it acceptable that offensive weapons were in a show like that," said Bayrou. "And as these offensive weapons were not withdrawn [by the Israeli companies], we have temporarily, I hope, closed the stands." At the last Paris Air Show in 2023, Israeli companies - including at least one that was subject to the closure of its stall on Monday - appear to have displayed offensive weapons, including laser-guided bombs and rockets and attack drones. Israel calls France's decision to close stalls "outrageous and unprecedented" Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he was shocked by the "outrageous" closure of the pavilions and said the situation should be "immediately corrected." "Israeli companies have signed contracts with the organizers... it's like creating an Israeli ghetto," he said on French television channel LCI. The Israeli defense ministry said in a statement that the "outrageous and unprecedented decision reeks of policy-driven and commercial considerations." "The French are hiding behind supposedly political considerations to exclude Israeli offensive weapons from an international exhibition - weapons that compete with French industries," it said. "This is particularly striking given Israeli technologies' impressive and precise performance in Iran." Israel launched surprise strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites early on Friday, killing top commanders and scientists, prompting Tehran to hit back with a barrage of missiles. Arkansas' Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders was at the Paris show on Monday and, speaking with reporters, she called the French officials' decision "pretty absurd." Her father is Mike Huckabee, the current U.S. Ambassador to Israel and a staunch backer of the ongoing Israeli operations in Gaza. The presence of Israeli firms at Le Bourget, though smaller than in the past, was already a source of tension before the start of the Paris Air Show, because of the conflict in Gaza. A French court last week rejected a bid by NGOs to ban Israeli companies from Le Bourget over concerns about "international crimes." Local lawmakers from the Seine-Saint-Denis department hosting the event were absent during Bayrou's visit to the opening of the air show in protest over the Israeli presence. "Never has the world been so disrupted and destabilized," Bayrou said earlier at a roundtable event, urging nations to tackle challenges "together, not against each other." Boeing focuses on support, not sales at Paris Air show after Air India crash The row over Israel cast a shadow over a trade fair that is usually dominated by displays of the aerospace industry's latest flying wonders, and big orders for plane makers Airbus and Boeing. Airbus announced an order of 30 single-aisle A320neo jets and 10 A350F freighters by Saudi aircraft leasing firm AviLease. The European manufacturer also said Riyadh Air was buying 25 long-range, wide-body A350-1000 jets. Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg last week cancelled plans to attend the biennial event, to focus on the investigation of the Air India crash. "Our focus is on supporting our customers, rather than announcing orders at this air show," a Boeing spokeswoman told AFP on Monday. The London-bound Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, killing 241 passengers and crew and another 38 on the ground. One passenger survived.
DW
5 days ago
- Politics
- DW
Israel says weapons exhibits blocked off at Paris Air Show – DW – 06/16/2025
The Israeli Defense Ministry posted pictures of defense industry stands covered by black partition walls. The ministry slammed the move as "outrageous and unprecedented." Israeli defense industry exhibitions have been covered in black partition walls at the prestigious Paris Air Show, after reportedly failing to comply with a directive to remove offensive weapons from being displayed. Israel's Defense Ministry posted up a statement on social media along with pictures, showing Israeli defense company stands sealed off with black walls, preventing anyone from seeing what lay behind the walls. Rafael, Elbit and IAI produce guided bombs and missiles, while Uvision and Aeronautics produce drones. Pictures posted up along with a statement by the Defense Ministry showed various weapons systems on display. Israel accuses France of 'ugly and improper' behaviour The incident comes as Israel trades deadly airstrikes with Iran and almost two years into its campaign in Gaza, which has killed more than 55,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. "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." The Reuters news agency cited a source familiar with the matter as saying the instruction to seal off the exhibits came from French authorities after Israeli firms failed to comply with a directive from a French security agency to remove offensive or kinetic weapons from the stands. Israel's Defense Ministry said its director general, Amir Baram, had rejected the request. In a statement, the ministry called the move an "unprecedented decision, that gives off the scent of political and commercial considerations." Israeli firms reportedly failed to comply with a directive from a French security agency to remove offensive or kinetic weapons from the stands Image: Michael Euler/AP Photo/picture alliance Sylvain Pavillet, a lawyer working with the air show organizers, said the final decision on who is allowed to exhibit lies with the French government, not the show itself. "The fair is not the one who decides which countries are allowed to go to the show or not," he told the Associated Press. "That decision belongs to the government. We are not a state. We are a commercial company." Organizers still seeking 'favourable outcome' While there has been no immediate comment from the French government regarding any move to block Israeli exhibitions, the air show's organiser said in a statement that it was in talks to try to help "the various parties find a favourable outcome to the situation." Friday saw a French appeals court rule against activists who had been seeking to block Israeli companies from participation at the show due to the ongoing war in Gaza. In recent weeks, French President Emmanuel Macron warned that a tougher position against Israel may be needed in light of the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Macron at the time warned that France would even consider sanctioning Israeli settlers. Edited by:
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
France shuts Israeli weapons booths at Paris Air Show
Geopolitical tensions roiled the opening of the Paris Air Show on Monday as French authorities sealed off Israeli weapons industry booths amid the conflicts in Iran and Gaza, a move that Israel condemned as "outrageous". The decision added drama to the major aerospace industry event, which was already being held under the shadow of last week's deadly crash of Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Black walls were installed around the stands of five Israeli defence firms at the trade fair in Le Bourget, an airfield on the outskirts of Paris. The booths displayed "offensive weapons" that could be used in Gaza -- in violation of agreements with Israeli authorities, a French government source told AFP. The companies -- Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Rafael Uvision, Elbit and Aeronautics -- make drones and guided bombs and missiles. An Israeli exhibitor wrote a message in yellow chalk on one of the walls, saying the hidden defence systems "are protecting the state of Israel these days. The French government, in the name of discrimination is trying to hide them from you!" Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he was shocked by the "outrageous" closure of the pavilions and said the situation should be "immediately corrected". "Israeli companies have signed contracts with the organisers... it's like creating an Israeli ghetto," he said on French television channel LCI. The Israeli defence ministry said in a statement that the "outrageous and unprecedented decision reeks of policy-driven and commercial considerations". "The French are hiding behind supposedly political considerations to exclude Israeli offensive weapons from an international exhibition -- weapons that compete with French industries," it said. "This is particularly striking given Israeli technologies' impressive and precise performance in Iran." Israel launched surprise strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites on Friday, killing top commanders and scientists, prompting Tehran to hit back with a barrage of missiles. The presence of Israeli firms at Le Bourget, though smaller than in the past, was already a source of tension before the start of the Paris Air Show, because of the conflict in Gaza. A French court last week rejected a bid by NGOs to ban Israeli companies from Le Bourget over concerns about "international crimes". Local lawmakers from the Seine-Saint-Denis department hosting the event were absent during French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou's visit to the opening of the air show in protest over the Israeli presence. "Never has the world been so disrupted and destabilised," Bayrou said at a roundtable event, urging nations to tackle challenges "together, not against each other". - Boeing 'focus on supporting customers' - The row over Israel cast a shadow over a trade fair that is usually dominated by displays of the aerospace industry's latest flying wonders, and big orders for plane makers Airbus and Boeing. Airbus announced an order of 30 single-aisle A320neo jets and 10 A350F freighters by Saudi aircraft leasing firm AviLease. The European manufacturer also said Riyadh Air was buying 25 long-range, wide-body A350-1000 jets. But Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg last week cancelled plans to attend the biennial event, to focus on the investigation of the Air India crash. "Our focus is on supporting our customers, rather than announcing orders at this air show," a Boeing spokeswoman told AFP on Monday. The London-bound Dreamliner crashed shortly after take off in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, killing 241 passengers and crew and another 38 on the ground. One passenger survived.
CNA
5 days ago
- Business
- CNA
France shuts Israeli weapons booths at Paris Air Show
LE BOURGET, France: Geopolitical tensions roiled the opening of the Paris Air Show on Monday (Jun 16) as French authorities sealed off Israeli weapons industry booths amid the conflicts in Iran and Gaza, a move that Israel condemned as "outrageous". The decision added drama to the major aerospace industry event, which was already being held under the shadow of last week's deadly crash of Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Black walls were installed around the stands of five Israeli defence firms at the trade fair in Le Bourget, an airfield on the outskirts of Paris. The booths displayed "offensive weapons" that could be used in Gaza - in violation of agreements with Israeli authorities, a French government source told AFP. The companies - Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Rafael Uvision, Elbit and Aeronautics - make drones and guided bombs and missiles. An Israeli exhibitor wrote a message in yellow chalk on one of the walls, saying the hidden defence systems "are protecting the state of Israel these days. The French government, in the name of discrimination is trying to hide them from you!" Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he was shocked by the "outrageous" closure of the pavilions and said the situation should be "immediately corrected". "Israeli companies have signed contracts with the organisers ... it's like creating an Israeli ghetto," he said on French television channel LCI. The Israeli defence ministry said in a statement that the "outrageous and unprecedented decision reeks of policy-driven and commercial considerations". "The French are hiding behind supposedly political considerations to exclude Israeli offensive weapons from an international exhibition - weapons that compete with French industries," it said. "This is particularly striking given Israeli technologies' impressive and precise performance in Iran." Israel launched surprise strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites on Friday, killing top commanders and scientists, prompting Tehran to hit back with a barrage of missiles. The presence of Israeli firms at Le Bourget, though smaller than in the past, was already a source of tension before the start of the Paris Air Show, because of the conflict in Gaza. A French court last week rejected a bid by NGOs to ban Israeli companies from Le Bourget over concerns about "international crimes". Local lawmakers from the Seine-Saint-Denis department hosting the event were absent during French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou's visit to the opening of the air show in protest over the Israeli presence. "Never has the world been so disrupted and destabilised," Bayrou said at a roundtable event, urging nations to tackle challenges "together, not against each other". BOEING "FOCUS ON SUPPORTING CUSTOMERS" The row over Israel cast a shadow over a trade fair that is usually dominated by displays of the aerospace industry's latest flying wonders, and big orders for plane makers Airbus and Boeing. Airbus announced an order of 30 single-aisle A320neo jets and 10 A350F freighters by Saudi aircraft leasing firm AviLease. The European manufacturer also said Riyadh Air was buying 25 long-range, wide-body A350-1000 jets. But Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg last week cancelled plans to attend the biennial event to focus on the investigation of the Air India crash. "Our focus is on supporting our customers, rather than announcing orders at this air show," a Boeing spokeswoman told AFP on Monday. The London-bound Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, killing 241 passengers and crew and another 38 on the ground. One passenger survived.
