London shuts doors of defense conference to Israeli officials

According to the report, Israel’s Ministry of Defense—which in previous years had an active presence at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition—has been removed from this year’s list of invitees.

A UK government spokesperson emphasized that Israel’s decision to escalate military operations in Gaza was a mistake, and therefore no official Israeli delegation will be invited to the event.

The DSEI exhibition, held every two years in London, is considered one of the largest global gatherings of the arms industry.

London’s decision comes as both domestic and international pressure mounts on Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government to rein in the Gaza war.

The British Prime Minister had previously warned that if Israel failed to take immediate steps to end the catastrophic situation in Gaza, the UK would move to officially recognize the State of Palestine in September.