Poland’s MSPO defense fair, co-organized by the country’s Defense Ministry and state-owned arms company PGZ under the honorary patronage of President Karol Nawrocki, began on Tuesday.
Exhibitors include companies from around the world. Israel’s contingent features Elbit Systems, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries and Smart Shooter.
Elbit equipment was reported to have been used in the April 1, 2024 strike on a World Central Kitchen convoy that killed Polish volunteer Damian Soból. An Israeli newspaper investigation said Hermes 450 drones—made by Elbit—were used; other military experts said the missile was likely a Spike, supplied by Rafael.
Polish groups Kaktus (Polish-Palestinian Initiative for Justice) and Nomada urged authorities to exclude Israeli firms immediately.
“Poland, as a signatory to the Genocide Convention, the Rome Statute and the Arms Trade Treaty, cannot promote and legitimize entities whose technologies are directly used to attack civilians in Gaza,” their appeal said.
The left-wing Razem party backed the call. “Our international obligations require us not to admit these companies to Poland,” MP Maciej Konieczny told Onet, calling continued cooperation “huge hypocrisy” and arguing it should be severed.
He criticized firms marketing systems as “battle-tested,” saying it signals complicity in Gaza.
Israeli companies were barred from June’s Paris Air Show, after refusing to remove offensive weapons, and earlier in August from NEDS in Rotterdam, which is the Netherlands’ largest military exhibition.
Late in August, Britain said it would not invite Israeli representatives to the upcoming DSEI in London. Israel’s Defense Ministry then withdrew.
Israel’s defense exports totaled $14.8 billion in 2024.
On Monday, the world’s leading genocide experts, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, said Israel’s conduct in Gaza meets the legal definition of genocide under the U.N. convention.
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Source: Onet, Gazeta Prawna, BBC, Euronews