After relentless direct action and a number of arrests, Palestine Action has made business in Britain’s capital inoperable for Israel’s largest weapons company, Elbit Systems.

Two Palestine Action activists have been imprisoned since May 15 as part of a concerted and intensified attempt by the British State to protect Israel’s arms trade in the country.

Palestine Action raided Elbit System’s subsidiary, UAV Engines Ltd, in Shenstone, Staffordshire on Monday morning in an action that drew parallels with Israeli demolitions of Palestinian homes in Sheikh Jarrah.

After 18 months of sustained direct action taken at the Elbit Ferranti site, the Israeli arms maker has sold a subsidiary which produced military technologies for Israel’s fleet of combat drones.

Protestors with Palestine Action are occupying Elbit System’s London HQ, and preventing operations at the site. In the past year, Palestine Action has disrupted Elbit for 105 days of 365, across their 10 UK sites plus those of a drone parts supplier. The action taken today, as with all actions by Palestine Action, has been taken in order to end the supply of UK made arms, drones, munitions and military technology to Israel.

Eight activists from Extinction Rebellion North and Palestine Action were arrested yesterday after causing £20,000 worth of damage after shutting down an Israeli arms factory in Oldham, UK. The activists stormed the factory in the early hours of Monday morning, February 1, with six blockading three entrances and another two climbing onto the roof.