In a diplomatic overture, the government of the UK has officially excluded Israeli officials from participating in next year’s Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) arms fair in London.
The Friday announcement mirrors growing unease over Israel’s continued military action in Gaza and represents a significant change in Britain’s approach to its traditional ally.
We can assure that there will be no Israeli government delegation invited to join DSEI UK 2025,” stated a release from the Ministry of Defence.
In spite of no official Israeli delegations, Israeli defence companies will be allowed to join the exhibition organized between 9 to 12 September 2025.
The UK and Israel have been at odds for months, and the latest move has taken relations even deeper into darker waters. The move follows a series of tough positions taken by Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government against Israel’s military actions in Gaza:
- Suspension of export licenses for arms to Israel
- Freeze on negotiations on bilateral trade
- Sanctions on two Israeli far-right ministers
The British government wasn’t shy of its words either: “The decision of the Israeli government to further escalate its military action in Gaza is wrong. There should be a diplomatic resolution for this to end the war now, with an urgent ceasefire, release of the hostages and an increase in humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.”
The exclusion has not escaped notice in Tel Aviv. In a hot-headed reaction, Israel’s defence ministry condemned the UK’s move: “These restrictions are tantamount to a deliberate and regrettable act of discrimination against Israel’s representatives.
Accordingly, the Israeli Ministry of Defence will withdraw from the exhibition and will not set up a national pavilion.”
This indicates a deepening divide between the two countries, and Israel has taken the step as a symbolically significant action and not a procedural one.
Protests are already in the making. A collective of more than 100 grassroots and activist networks is organizing mass protests outside the Excel London hub as the DSEI event begins.
Working under the banner “Shut DSEI Down”, the coalition includes:
- Pro-Palestinian campaign groups
- Climate activists
- Anti-imperialist networks
- Social justice groups
“The coalition has a strong contingent of pro-Palestine groups, climate, anti-imperialist and social justice ones,” a spokesperson said this week.
Global pressure is building. France, earlier in June, made international headlines by stopping several Israeli arms firms from displaying offensive weapons at the Paris Air Show. Today, the UK’s stance can lead to further isolation of Israel on the diplomatic front.
On Saturday, EU foreign ministers will meet in Copenhagen to consider new possible sanctions against Israel and Hamas alike.
Meanwhile, Sweden and the Netherlands have already issued a call for tougher measures, highlighting a potential watershed moment in Europe’s united position.
The UK’s most recent steps are part of a wider diplomatic turn. Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently revealed that the UK would be recognizing a Palestinian state in September, subject to Israel making strides toward peace, including the acceptance of a ceasefire in Gaza.
The recognition would be a seismic change in British foreign policy and would likely have considerable influence on the regional balance of power.
As the DSEI 2025 exhibition draws near, the UK’s decision to exclude Israeli officials has sparked heated political argument, driven by increasing domestic discontent and international pressure.
With diplomatic boundaries being redrawn and the Gaza humanitarian crisis worsening, Britain’s stance marks more than an arms fair snub might mark a new era of Middle Eastern diplomacy.
Whether and how Israel will behave in the months ahead may not only decide its entry into global defence markets, but also its long-term relationships with Western powers.
