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 Israeli officials from the four-day event, but 51 Israeli defense 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 center.
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 defense 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 labeled the exclusion of its officials from the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) fair as “discrimination.”
The decision “serves extremists, grants legitimacy to terror, and is driven by political considerations that fall outside the professional and customary framework of international defense exhibitions,” the Foreign Ministry said at the time.
At the same time, President Isaac Herzog is due in London on Tuesday for a three-day visit at the invitation of the UK’s Jewish community.
A diplomatic official has told The Times of Israel that he is likely to meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer while he is there, possibly in addition to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
The arms fair “includes unrivalled access to international governments, ministries of defense… 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.”
Starmer has said Britain will formally recognize a Palestinian state later this month
Israel’s burgeoning campaign to capture Gaza City, in the enclave’s north, as well as rampant settler violence in the West Bank, has caused tension with the UK, and Starmer’s government has in recent months announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state if Israel does not take steps to improve the situation, including agreeing to a ceasefire in its war against Hamas in Gaza, which was sparked by the terror group’s brutal invasion and massacre inside Israel on October 7, 2023.
London has suspended trade talks with Israel over the conflict, as well as some export licenses for arms used in Gaza, but some UK-made parts, such as components for Israeli F-35 jets, are still exported.