Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered Tuesday outside a major arms fair in London as it opened without the presence of Israeli government officials because of tension between Britain and Israel over the Gaza conflict.
Police watched as around 300 protesters waved Palestinian flags and held up placards including one reading “UK: Stop arming Israel. Stop the Gaza Genocide”.
The British government excluded the officials from the four-day event, but 51 Israeli defence companies are set to attend, including major arms manufacturer Elbit.
Rafael and Israel Aerospace Industries, both government-owned, will also have exhibitions, making Israel the fifth-largest national contingent at the fair at the Excel London exhibition centre.
The Israeli companies “should be investigated for crimes against humanity, not invited to profit from the unspeakable devastation they have caused in Gaza”, Campaign Against Arms Trade spokesperson Emily Apple said in a statement.
Britain’s defence ministry announced at the end of August that no Israeli government delegation had been invited, citing Israel’s “decision to further escalate its military operation in Gaza”.
Israel labelled the exclusion of its officials from the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) fair as “discrimination”.
At the same time, Israeli President Isaac Herzog is due in London on Tuesday for a three-day official visit.
– ‘Offensive weapons’ –
The arms fair “includes unrivalled access to international governments, ministries of defence… alongside all UK front line commands”, according to the DSEI UK website.
A record number of exhibitors and visitors are expected at the event, as global conflicts including the Russia-Ukraine war have prompted European and other governments to ramp up military spending.
France, which is also represented at the show, had in June blocked access to the stands of several Israeli arms manufacturers at the Paris Air show for displaying what it termed “offensive weapons”.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said Britain will formally recognise a Palestinian state later this month if Israel does not take steps, including agreeing to a ceasefire in the Gaza war, which was sparked by the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023.
London has suspended trade talks with Israel over the conflict, as well as some export licences for arms used in Gaza, but some UK-made parts, such as components for Israeli F-35 jets, are still exported.
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