Israel’s War Machine Can Be Stopped. Here’s How

 

Profits have plummeted at an Israeli arms firm targeted by Palestine Action.

Israel’s largest arms firm Elbit Systems is finally losing money at its drone engine factory near Birmingham, England.

This follows years of campaigning by Palestine Action, a group I co-founded in 2020.

Back then, Elbit’s subsidiary UAV Engines was making millions of pounds in profit with an £11m turnover.

That was until we showed up. Palestine Action has staged over 20 protests at the firm’s factory in Shenstone, blockading the gates, occupying the roof and smashing up equipment.

We did this because Elbit makes 85% of Israel’s drone fleet terrorising Gaza, including the Hermes armed drones from which even British aid workers are not safe.

And although UAV Engines claim that it produces components solely for the British army, trade licence data shows it exports drone parts to Israel. 

For decades this business, which Elbit turned from a motorbike manufacturer to an arms firm in the mid-1990s, has been consistently profitable.

But its latest accounts show the company is now in the red. From a £2.5m operating profit in 2019 before we launched, UAV Engines had a £460,000 loss by the end of 2023.  (more...)

Israel’s War Machine Can Be Stopped. Here’s How