The United Arab Emirates has informed the Israeli defense establishment that Israeli industries will be barred from participating in the Dubai Airshow in November, a Defense Ministry spokesperson tells The Times of Israel, confirming Hebrew media reports.
According to the reports, the organizers of the event — one of the world’s largest aerospace and defense exhibitions, held in the UAE’s capital every two years — sent a message this morning to the Defense Ministry and to relevant company managers in Israel.
While the official statements said the decision was due to security considerations, senior officials in Israel claim the reason behind the ban is the Israeli Air Force’s strike in Qatar yesterday against the top leadership of Hamas, Ynet reports. Gulf countries have since expressed their condemnation of the attack and solidarity with Qatar.
The Defense Ministry declines to comment on the stated or suspected reasoning of the ban.