‘Palestine Action’ protests force closure of Israeli arms firm in UK
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Bristol: An Israeli arms manufacturer’s facility in Bristol, repeatedly targeted by activist group Palestine Action, has reportedly closed unexpectedly.
The Elbit Systems UK site, located in the Aztec West business park, was the focus of numerous protests, including one on 1 July, just days before the group was banned under the UK Terrorism Act. The protests involved blockades with lock-ons, roof occupations, window smashing, and dousing the premises in red paint.
Elbit Systems UK, a subsidiary of Israel’s largest arms producer, Elbit Systems, has held the lease since 2019, which was not due to expire until 2029. The company, which reported $6.8 billion (£5 billion) in revenue last year, supplies much of Israel’s drone fleet and produces systems for military aircraft, helicopters, armed boats, land vehicles, and command-and-control operations.
Previously owned by Somerset Council, which was also targeted by Palestine Action before selling the site last year, the property now has fences and barriers surrounding it. Elbit Systems UK declined to comment on the site’s status, and the Guardian was unable to reach the current landlords.
This facility is separate from another Elbit site in Filton, Bristol, which has also been targeted by Palestine Action. At that site, 24 people face charges including criminal damage, violent disorder, and aggravated burglary, with one individual charged with grievous bodily harm with intent.
Before its proscription, Palestine Action conducted sustained campaigns against Elbit’s UK sites, escalating significantly after Israel’s response to the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks in Gaza. Elbit Systems UK reported an operating loss of £4.7 million last year, down from a profit of £3.8 million in 2023.
Andrew Feinstein, an arms trade expert and former South African parliamentarian, described the closure as “extremely significant,” noting that Elbit is a key component of Israel’s military-industrial complex alongside IAI.
Elbit’s UK operations have seen similar closures in recent years. Last year, its West Midlands subsidiary Elite KL (now Calatherm) was sold after operating profits fell 75% in 2022, largely due to increased security costs following Palestine Action protests. The new owners ended defence contracts and disassociated from Elbit. In 2022, Ferranti P&C in Oldham was sold after 18 months of protests by Palestine Action and Oldham Peace.
Private Eye reported last month that Elbit Systems UK was part of a consortium close to securing a £2 billion Ministry of Defence contract, which would make it a “strategic partner” of the MoD. The Financial Times reported that former Labour minister Peter Hain wrote to Defence Secretary Jon Healey urging the contract not be awarded to the company, citing “the devastation unfolding in Gaza.”
Palestine Action has been granted permission for a judicial review in November regarding the decision to proscribe the group, though the Home Secretary will attempt to overturn this decision at a Court of Appeal hearing on 25 September.
