Israel Launches Retaliatory Measures Against France

(MENAFN) Israel's Defense Ministry has launched a sweeping set of punitive measures against France, following sharp public criticism from US President Donald Trump over Paris' decision to deny access to its airspace for arms shipments bound for the Middle East.

In a Tuesday post on Truth Social, Trump slammed the French move as "very unhelpful" to the joint US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, warning that Washington "will remember" the decision. The airspace denial is an extension of a broader arms embargo France imposed on Israel over a year ago, cutting off weapons transfers to West Jerusalem.

Israeli Defense Ministry Director-General Amir Baram, speaking in a Channel 12 interview on Tuesday, said he and Defense Minister Israel Katz are actively working to reduce Israel's dependence on foreign arms suppliers — singling out nations like France that Tel Aviv no longer considers "friendly."

The ministry followed with an unambiguous official declaration: it "will reduce all defense procurement from France to zero." The statement also confirmed the cancellation of a scheduled visit by a senior French defense official, and made clear that "there will be no new professional engagement with the French military."

A Macron Ally Redirects to Beirut
At the center of the diplomatic rupture is Alice Ruffo — a deputy to French Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin and a reported confidante of President Emmanuel Macron — who had been set to visit Israel on Sunday before the trip was cancelled.

Conflicting accounts surround the precise chain of events. Some reports suggest France's airspace refusal came only after West Jerusalem pulled the plug on Ruffo's visit. Sources quoted by Reuters indicated this was the first instance of Paris blocking an Israel-bound arms shipment since the regime-change offensive against Iran was launched more than a month ago.

Ruffo instead traveled to Lebanon, where she met with senior government officials and presided over the handover of 39 French-manufactured VAB armored personnel carriers to the Lebanese Army — even as Israel continues to maintain a military presence in the country's south.

A Relationship in Freefall
The current standoff is the culmination of months of deteriorating ties. President Macron introduced the arms embargo against Israel in late 2024, framing it as a pressure measure over Israeli military operations in Gaza. Israeli defense companies have since been excluded from French arms trade exhibitions.

While France has continued exporting certain dual-use goods to Israel, the volume has fallen sharply. A 2025 parliamentary report found that such exports — each requiring individual governmental approval — amounted to €76.5 million ($88.6 million) in 2024, a decline of 60% compared to the prior year.

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