Israeli defense companies will not be permitted to participate in the Netherlands’ largest military exhibition, Hebrew media reported on Wednesday.

The NEDS event, held annually in Rotterdam and focused largely on the naval sector, has in recent years hosted Israel’s biggest defense contractors, including Israel Aerospace Industries, Elbit Systems and Rafael. But the event’s organizers wrote in a recent letter that this year’s event, scheduled for November 20, will bar Israeli firms, a Globes report said, citing Israeli sources.

Israeli sources confirmed to Globes that they will not attend. Organizers cited “security and organizational” reasons for the ban and did not respond to Globes’ requests for comment.

According to the report, the decision appears to be linked to the Gaza war and is part of a broader Dutch policy shift relating to Israel.

The Netherlands has been pushing within the European Union to impose economic and trade sanctions on Israel. In May, Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp backed a legal review of the EU........

© The Times of Israel