Pro-Palestine protests prompt closure of Israeli arms firm's US office
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Elbit Systems permanently shut down a branch in the UK earlier this year through demonstrations, an occurrence which has now extended beyond borders to the US.
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Activists from Extinction Rebellion North and Palestine Action fix a banner as they protest outside the Elbit Ferranti factory in Oldham, in northwest England, on February 1, 2021. (AFP)
A US branch of "Israel's" largest arms manufacturer, Elbit Systems, has announced the termination of its office lease in Cambridge following months of pro-Palestinian demonstrations led by Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Boston.
A subsidiary of the Israeli-based company, KMC Systems, had moved into a building at 130 Bishop Allen Drive in December 2021, where the lease was expected to end next year.
The BDS organization described the end of Elbit's lease as "a testament to our collective power,” attributing “varied community efforts” for the disruption of Elbit and its landlord, Intercontinental Management Corp.'s operations and “forcing the early termination of the lease.”
The movement has pledged to keep fighting to “prevent Elbit from moving to another nearby location," as well as attempt to “sever Elbit’s ties with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and other actors in the Boston area.”
“We will not consider ourselves victorious until Elbit Systems is dismantled and until Palestine is liberated,” BDS Boston asserted.
The power of protesting
For months, pro-Palestine demonstrations had targeted the building that housed KMC in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Despite workers going remote, protesters turn up every Wednesday, Cambridge Police Superintendent of Operations Pauline Wells told Cambridge Day on August 22.
It is worth noting that Elbit Systems is known for supplying the Israeli occupation forces with drones, munitions, combat vehicles, missiles, and various other types of weaponry. According to the British newspaper Morning Star, "The majority of their arms are marketed as 'battle-tested,' meaning they have been deployed in bombardments against the Palestinian people."
According to BDS Boston, “We will continue organizing until Elbit Systems leaves Cambridge," warning real estate companies that Elbit is a "difficult tenant" as disruptive protests will follow wherever the firm goes.
On August 18, some 25 to 30 people got there, yelling chants like "Elbit is not welcome here" and "Palestine will be free." Police have stated that their policy is to stop traffic and safeguard persons participating in peaceful protests.
Other building tenants, including Reed Hilderbrand landscape architects, HMFH Architects, and Workbar coworking space, have allegedly informed demonstrators that the Cambridge Elbit facility is no longer in use and that the firm is seeking a new location.
KMC's website currently lists employment vacancies for Merrimack, New Hampshire. While several Elbit jobs are advertised on LinkedIn, none is available in Cambridge.
UK's Palestine Action forces closure of Israeli Elbit Systems factory
The closure of the Israeli company extended beyond the borders of the US, especially earlier this year when the arms firm closed in the UK.
Amid the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza, the unwavering effort by Palestine Action has compelled Elbit Systems, "Israel’s" largest arms company, to permanently close yet another weapons factory in the UK, despite facing arrests, raids, and imprisonment.
The group announced on March 28 that its efforts have led to the permanent closure of Elbit Systems' Elite KL factory in Tamworth, Staffordshire, marking the third Elbit Systems site in the UK to be forced to shutter permanently by Palestine Action.
