Israeli defense companies will be banned from one of the Netherlands’ most popular defense showcases in November, according to event organizers.
Organizers for the NIDV Exhibition Defense & Security, or NEDS, event, held in Rotterdam in November, cited “security and organizational” concerns as the reasons for the ban. The Netherlands Industries for Defense and Security event has hosted Israeli defense firms in the past, and those companies slated to attend this year were not sponsored by the Israeli Ministry of Defense.
The Israeli Foreign and Defense Ministries confirmed that the companies slated to attend NEDS would no longer do so and that the ban is currently under review.
This decision is likely connected to the Netherlands’ explicit opposition to Israel’s actions in the Gaza war. The Dutch government blocked direct arms exports to Israel just months after the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks, which kicked off the Gaza war.
Last year, the Netherlands also ordered a ban on the export of spare F-35 aircraft to Israel over concerns that they would be used to violate international law. However, reports suggest that the Netherlands may still be indirectly supplying the parts to Israel, with ships carrying F-35 planes for repair continuing to use the Rotterdam port to transport them to Israel.
The Netherlands also still conducts purchases of Israeli weapons, including SPIKE LR2 anti-tank missiles from Israeli defense company Rafael.
Still, the decision to bar Israeli companies from NEDS underscores the continued international pressure Israel faces over the Gaza war. In June, organizers at the popular Paris Air Show erected a black wall around exhibits from Israeli defense firms, reflecting a last-minute ban on the companies’ participation.
The organizers, acting on behalf of the French government, told Israeli firms that they would still be allowed to participate in the event if they only displayed defensive weapons. The Israeli Ministry of Defense appealed the ban in a French court but ultimately lost, with a judge siding with the French government.
Israeli representatives called the move anti-competitive and antisemitic.
“This outrageous and unprecedented decision reeks of policy-driven and commercial considerations. This comes at a time when Israel is fighting a necessary and just war to eliminate the nuclear and ballistic threat facing the Middle East, Europe, and the entire world,” the Israeli Defense Ministry wrote in a statement.
