Episode 23: Elbit Ejected, Palestine Activism

First aired on 02 July 2022

Palestine Action chases Elbit out of London. The heroic Palestine Action campaign against the largest Israeli arms company Elbit Systems has taken many twists and turns.

From activists being arrested and placed on remand to many being acquitted from court cases even by magistrates, one thing has remained true, Elbit Systems fears the disinfectant of sunlight.

As Israel's number one manufacturer of killer drones and other murder machines Elbit Systems has a gruesome reputation. It has recently been thought to own the company which manufactured the bullet which killed Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.

It has also been a key player in the building of the illegal apartheid wall in the West Bank. It also has numerous large contracts with the British Ministry of Defense.

Despite this, Palestine Action has again and again shut down Elbit Systems factories in the country.

Just a few months ago, we reported here on Palestine Declassified that the group forced Elbit Systems to sell one of it's subsidiaries in the sleepy English town of Oldham at a loss.

Ferranti Technologies was sold by Elbit Systems for £9 million which is millions of pounds less than what it was acquired for. This was thanks to the coordination of the local community and Oldham Peace and Justice alongside Palestine Action.

Initially this was contested by the company which claimed the sale of Ferranti was merely due to a reorganizing of their portfolio, however later in a court case it was admitted by the UK Crown Prosecution Service that Elbit were forced out of Oldham by Palestine Action.

Now, there is more great news of Elbit's retreat from the UK.

We are happy to announce that the London campaign by Palestine Action has forced Israel's largest arms company Elbit Systems to abandon its London headquarters for good.

This is an iconic moment in the global struggle against Israel.