The UK government has announced that Israeli officials will not be invited to the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) arms fair in London next month, a decision that has sparked a sharp backlash from Israel’s defence ministry.
“We can confirm that no Israeli government delegation will be invited to attend DSEI UK 2025,” a UK defence ministry spokesperson said Friday. However, Israeli defence companies will still be permitted to participate in the biennial event.
The move comes as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government intensifies diplomatic pressure on Israel over its ongoing military operations in Gaza. In recent months, Britain has suspended arms export licences for weapons intended for use in Gaza, halted free trade talks with Israel, and sanctioned two far-right Israeli ministers.
“The Israeli government’s decision to further escalate its military operation in Gaza is wrong,” the UK statement said, calling for “an immediate ceasefire, the return of the hostages, and a surge in humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.”
Israel’s defence ministry condemned the decision as “a deliberate and regrettable act of discrimination,” declaring that it would withdraw from the exhibition and forgo establishing a national pavilion.
The announcement follows Starmer’s pledge last month that Britain will formally recognise a Palestinian state in September if Israel fails to agree to a truce in Gaza.
Elsewhere in Europe, France in June blocked several Israeli arms manufacturers from displaying “offensive weapons” at the Paris Air Show. EU foreign ministers are set to meet in Copenhagen on Saturday to consider fresh sanctions against both Israel and Hamas, with Sweden and the Netherlands among those pushing for stronger action.
