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In a coordinated wave of actions across Europe, Palestine Action have struck at 15 premises of the ‘Allianz’ company, investors in and insurers of Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons company [1]. Allianz’ provision of Employers Liability Insurance to Elbit Systems UK renders the insurance giant deeply complicit in the genocide in Gaza, as – without insurance – Elbit could not operate in Britain.
German firm Allianz, which is also a major institutional investor in Elbit, has had 9 of it’s premises struck overnight with red paint and smashed windows across England and Scotland. Across Europe, actions took place against Allianz sites in Germany, Netherlands and Portugal.
The direct action campaign against Allianz launched last October [2], when Palestine Action visited ten branches of Allianz overnight, covering them in graffiti, and symbolic blood-red paint, in addition to occupying their offices in Guildford. As we said then: “These nationwide actions serve as a reminder that, throughout the past twelve months, Western capital has continued to profit from the mass murder of Palestinians.” Then, as now, Palestine Action has called upon Allianz to drop Elbit as a client now and in the future, and to divest entirely from shareholdings in Elbit Systems.Having failed to confirm that this action was taken, further visits were made to Allianz offices in Belfast [3] and Glasgow [4].
Since then, Israel has continued to murder Palestinians, and others throughout the region, using weapons developed and made, in Britain, by ‘Elbit Systems UK’ [5] – despite ceasefires. While Elbit weaponry continues to slaughter Palestinians, the campaign will continue against the companies, including Allianz, which facilitates Elbit’s weapons production. The insurance services rendered to Elbit are crucial for the maintenance of their operations, while Allianz has previously been described as Elbit’s “principle institutional shareholder”, at-one-point owning over 2% of the company [6], and to-this-day continuing to hold thousands of shares in Elbit Systems Ltd [7].
A spokesperson for Palestine Action said:
“Palestine Action’s campaign to remove Israel’s weapons trade from Britain will continue to use the necessary means, direct action, against Elbit and the companies that aid, abet, and profit from the slaughter of Palestinians.
As Allianz prioritises the value of profits over the lives of Palestinians, we will ensure they lose more than they gain by working with the Israeli weapons maker. ”
ENDS
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.
[1] caat.org.uk/data/companies/elbit-systems/
[2] freedomnews.org.uk/2024/10/08/activists-target-ten-allianz-offices-over-elbit-links/
[3] www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2024/11/10/allianz-belfast-palestine-action/
[4] www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2024/11/05/palestine-action-allianz-bny-mellon/
[5] https://aoav.org.uk/2024/who-is-arming-israel-uk-exports-to-israel/
[6] wri-irg.org/en/story/2012/campaign-month-no-allianz-israeli-apartheid
[7] fintel.io/so/us/eslt