Israel’s Defense Ministry said it is pulling out of the DSEI UK 2025 defense exhibition in London after the UK barred Israeli government officials from attending the show due to “Israel’s escalation of its military operation in Gaza.”

The exhibition, scheduled for September 9-12, is one of the world’s leading defense exhibitions.

The ban does not include representatives of Israeli defense contractors.

The Defense Ministry called the move “offensive and disgraceful” and “a deliberate act of discrimination against Israeli representatives.”

The statement clarified that Israel will not establish a national pavilion at the fair but will provide logistical support to representatives of Israeli defense contractors who are still interested in participating.

The statement said that the UK has acted against Israel [alluding to its announcement that it will recognize a Palestinian state] while it is “at war on multiple fronts against radical Islamist elements that also threaten Western countries and international shipping routes. In doing so, the UK has taken a step that serves extremists, legitimizes terrorism, and stems from political considerations outside the professional framework of international defense exhibitions.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)