Images and videos are available for free, with the relevant credit
From 7.30AM on 22nd January 2025, Palestine Action begun occupying ‘The Aviva Centre’ in Bristol, BS34 8SQ. One activist is on top of the overhang of the ‘UK’s largest insurer’, whilst another spraypainted the front glass of the building. Messages painted on the building include ‘Pal Action’ and ‘Elbit Out’. Aviva provides the mandatory employers liability insurance for UAV Engines in Staffordshire, a drone engine factory owned by Israel’s biggest weapons manufacturer, Elbit Systems.
Recent disclosures show the company no longer holds direct shares in Elbit Systems. However, as well as insuring an Israeli weapons factory, Aviva also continue to hold investments in funds which hold Elbit shares.
By insuring UAV Engines, Aviva is facilitating the design and production of drone engines used to power Israel’s killer drone fleet, including the Hermes 450 drones and IAI’s Harop and Harpy attack drones. Such drones are used to surveil, massacre and terrorise Palestinians, both in Gaza and in the West Bank.
In direct contradiction with facilitating Elbit weapons production, ‘The Aviva Business Ethic Code’ states: “Respecting our customers, colleagues, communities, partners and the environment is part of our approach to human rights. As a company, we have an obligation to ensure our business activities do not cause or contribute to violations of human rights of others“.
Elbit Systems provides over 85% of Israel’s military drone fleet and land-based equipment, as well as munitions, missiles and electronic warfare. According to Elbit’s CEO Bezhalel Machlis, the company “ramped up production” to arm the Israeli military to commit what the International Court of Justice ruled as a ‘plausible genocide’ in Gaza. The company routinely uses assaults on Palestinians as a means to market new weaponry as “battle-tested”.
Despite a ceasefire being implemented in Gaza, the Israeli military begun “Operation Iron Wall” in Jenin, West Bank. In the last 24 hours, they’ve killed 9 Palestinians and injured 70 in the region. Many of those killings were conducted using air strikes and drones.
Palestine Action’s direct action campaign has also consistently target Allianz offices, as they provide insurance for the other Elbit British subsidiaries. Actions against Allianz included operations against 10 of their British and Irish offices overnight, as well as sustained actions against the insurers premises.
A Palestine Action spokesperson said:
“Israel’s biggest weapons firm could not work in Britain in isolation. Aviva is providing the mandatory insurance Elbit needs in order to build Israeli weapons on our doorstep. Without insurance, the Israeli arms maker would not be able to operate in Britain.
Palestine Action will continue to take direct action against companies such as Aviva as long as they facilitate the destruction of Palestine and massacres of the indigenous population of the land.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
If you would like any further information on Palestine action, please contact media@palestineaction.org
Palestine Action is a direct-action network of groups and individuals formed with the mandate of taking direct action against Elbit Systems’ UK locations at grassroots level, calling for them all to be shut down and for the British government to end its complicity in Israeli apartheid.