The British government has barred Israeli authorities from attending a major London arms fair in September amid the ongoing campaign of genocide in the besieged Gaza Strip.
“We can confirm that no Israeli government delegation will be invited to attend DSEI UK 2025,” the British Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Friday.
“The Israeli government’s decision to further escalate its military operation in Gaza is wrong,” the statement read.
“There must be a diplomatic solution to end this war now, with an immediate ceasefire, the return of the captives and a surge in humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.”
The DSEI arms fair, running from September 9-12, traditionally hosts senior delegations alongside private arms contractors.
Israeli arms companies will still be permitted to take part in the event, but without an official regime presence or pavilion.
In a show of defiance, Israel’s ministry of military affairs said it would withdraw from the exhibition entirely.
Accordingly, the Israeli ministry will withdraw from the exhibition and will not establish a pavilion.
Israeli media reported that Britain had said the ban could be reversed if Israel committed to “upholding international law in the occupied Palestinian territories."
A recent report found that British firms have continued to export military items to Israel despite a government partial suspension in September 2024.
The decision follows London’s suspension of some weapons export licenses to Israel, the freezing of free trade negotiations, and sanctions imposed on two far-right Israeli ministers over the assault on Gaza.
European Union foreign ministers are set to discuss further sanctions against Israel at a meeting in Copenhagen on Saturday, with Sweden and the Netherlands leading calls for tougher action.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to recognize a Palestinian state in September if Israel refuses to agree to a truce and take concrete steps towards ending its occupation.
In May, France, another key ally of the Tel Aviv regime, barred Israeli arms manufacturers from displaying “offensive weapons” at the Paris Air Show.
Also in May, Spain was reportedly spearheading a coordinated initiative aimed at persuading the European Union to eliminate Israel from all continental sports competitions.
Calls to exclude Israel from international sports events have indeed increased recently due to its relentless aggression against Gaza.
More than 62,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed by Israel in its nearly two-year aggression on Gaza and at least 157,600 have been wounded, according to the health ministry of Gaza.
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