Israel’s weapons makers leave stands empty at the Dubai Airshow. Amidst the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, the display exhibits of Israeli missile manufacturers Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems were vacant on Monday morning, the first day of the week-long Dubai Airshow.
The absence of personnel at both expo stands near the state armaments manufacturer of the United Arab Emirates, EDGE, remained unclear initially. During the 2021 Dubai Airshow, IAI and EDGE signed joint development programs.
Email queries for comments on IAI’s and Rafael’s participation were not immediately answered. A red rope had been used to prevent access to the IAI show display.
Staff members were at an exposition display belonging to Elbit Systems, an Israeli firm registered in the area. Still, they failed to respond to inquiries from the media regarding their involvement.
The growing death toll from Israel’s invasion of Gaza, which was carried out in retaliation for cross-border attacks on October 7 by the Palestinian Hamas militant group that rules the enclave, sparked outrage in Arab capitals over the weekend, prompting calls for an end to arms sales to Israel.
Elbit System founded the UAE-registered business in 2021 with the express intention of forging a lasting partnership with the Emirati armed forces. The Israeli parent firm has openly shown its support for Israel’s military in recent weeks.
Visitors to the Elbit Systems exhibit, which is also close to the UAE’s EDGE, were being served traditional Arab coffee by a guy dressed in traditional Emirati clothing, such as the kandora and ghutra.
Since 2020, when the Gulf Arab state and Israel established ties under a deal mediated by the United States, Israeli enterprises have only actively participated in exhibits and conferences held in the UAE.
According to those acquainted with UAE government policy, the UAE plans to maintain such diplomatic relations despite the international outrage over the growing cost of the war in Gaza.
With the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020, the UAE became the most prominent Arab country to establish diplomatic ties with Israel in thirty years. That agreement also made it possible for other Arab nations to forge closer ties with Israel, breaking decades of pan-Arab policy that demanded a Palestinian state before normalization.
President Sheikh Mohamed’s brother, Emirati Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, was present at the unusual joint conference of the Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) governments, where the calls for a weapons embargo on Israel were made.
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