Resistance Abroad; 'Palestine Action' Activists Seek the Shut-Down of 'Israel's' Largest Arms Company in the UK

After almost a century since the British have helped set foundation for the establishment of the Zionist state in Palestine, pro-Palestine activists took it upon themselves to take action in the UK against the aparthied system.

Palestine Action is a direct action network of activists and groups from across the UK. It was first launched in July 2020, with the main purpose of ending UK complicity with Israeli Apartheid.

Palestine Actionists believe that direct-action is a top priority in how they express their demands, and that there has been enough studies that covers the Palestinian Cause to help understand the situation, and that it is time to “use that knowledge to take action.”

On July 30, 2020, Palestine Action activists occupied the central London office of Israeli weapons firm Elbit Systems in Helborn, denouncing Britain’s complicity in weapon-aided war crimes against Palestinians. The activists remained persistent at the Elbit headquarters; a week after, they carried banners reading “Shut Elbit Down,” smearing blood-red paint all over, and sending a vivid message of resolution on the walls of the headquarters, “We Will Be Back.”

 

Themed in boiler suits and blood-red paint, the Palestine Actionists do not promote persones over actions. Palestine Action is a grassroot, democratic, and autonomous organization, as they put it.

The UK-based network has made it on top of its agenda to end their government’s complicity for over a century in the “ongoing colonization and military occupation, and subjugation of Palestine.”

In their site, the organization demands British institutions that are complicit with UK-based Israeli companies to end their links with the apartheid until “Israel stops its violations of Palestinian rights.”

Palestine Action follows a set of tactics that include civil disobedience and direct action, that they believe to be necessary to make the changes they seek. The action-oriented organization has seen acts like large protests, occupations, red paint throwing, graffiti, and damaging property and equipment of targeted companies, and blockading streets that lead to their sites.

Through its one year old, the activists network has taken several actions on multiple locations of companies that are directly complicit in “Israel’s ongoing military occupation and subsequent colonization of Palestine and the ethnic cleansing of its people.” Real Media press reports that Palestine Action have carried out more than 70 actions over the year, including 20 occupations of sites and factories.

Palestine Action has taken Elbit Systems as its first arch-enemy; the first phase threshold target. Other companies targeted in the UK were JCB (JC Bamford Excavators Ltd.) whose tools are used to demolish Palestinian homes and build settlements; and Arconic, which manufactures parts of weapons used by the Israeli army.

 

Elbit Systems is the largest privately-owned arms company, based in “Israel” and has multiple headquarters worldwide. In the UK alone, it has 10 sites, including 4 arms factories.

The Israeli company provides military aircraft systems, drone systems, land vehicle systems, cyber systems, among other activities.

According to Who Profits research center, specialized in exposing corporations commercial involvement in the Israeli apartheid regime, the Israeli Ministry of Defence (IMOD) is the “biggest single customer” of Elbit Systems. In 2017, 19% of Elbit Systems’ $3.377.8 million revenue was generated by the IMOD, according to the center.

In 2018, Elbit purchased the Israeli Military Industries Ltd. (IMI) in a $515 million deal. IMI used to provide its products to the Israeli army, and was considered to be its sole supplier of small calibre ammunition. Elbit now produces munitions and components of all Israeli attack aircraft, according to Palestine Action’s official site.

Elbit manufactures a number of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) that it lists proudly on its official page, which includes the Hermes series, Skystriker, and Skylark. According to a 2012 report in the “Israel Defence” magazine, Elbit Systems provides “about 85% of the UAVs used by the IDF.”

The official site of Elbit describes the Hermes 450 UAS as the “backbone” of Israeli army and air force ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition And Reconnaissance) missions.

Several acts have taken place at Elbit UK sites by activists from Palestine Action. Through these actions, activists were able to occupy sites, close others, and destroy equipment that helped create Elbit weapons.

A number of Palestine Actionists were arrested and cases were filed against them for damaging property. It is reported that there have been 100 arrests for Actionists with no trials, and many dropped charges.

According to a Real Media report on the organization in August 2021, the British police says that “Actionists have caused Elbit and complicit companies nearly €16 million [$18.8 million], in losses, damages and increased costs.”

It was just yesterday that Actionists have been arrested and detained for occupying a site for Elbit for 12 hours, throwing red paint, and breaking its windows along with street blocking. Protests and demands from dozens of civilians is continuous in solidarity with the Palestinian cause, persistent in their endeavor to end UK complicity with Israeli Apartheid regime.