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<a class="gmail-domain gmail-reader-domain" href="https://electronicintifada.net/content/has-britain-drafted-law-protect-israels-weapons-makers/35746">electronicintifada.net</a>
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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Has Britain drafted a law to protect Israel's weapons makers?</h1>
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<div class="gmail-reader-estimated-time" dir="ltr">June 24, 2022<br></div>
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<span><img src="https://electronicintifada.net/sites/default/files/styles/original_800w/public/2022-06/palestine_action_protest-39-04-june_22_2022.jpg?itok=MDPco3en×tamp=1656063541" alt="" title="" class="gmail-moz-reader-block-img" style="margin-right: 25px;" width="392" height="261"></span><p><font size="1">Palestine Action has forced Elbit Systems to leave two of the 10 sites from which it operates in Britain. </font></p>
<font size="1"><span>VX Pictures</span></font><p>Palestine Action has proven that the merchants of death are not invincible.</p>
<p>Just this week, <a href="https://www.palestineaction.org/london-hq-shut/">it was confirmed</a> that Israel’s <a href="https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/david-cronin/has-israels-weapons-industry-really-declared-war-virus">top weapons exporter</a> Elbit Systems is closing down its offices in London.</p>
<p>The decision follows numerous protests against Elbit and Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), the <a href="https://www.palestineaction.org/actions-against-jll/">letting agent</a> for those offices.</p>
<p>It is the second time that Palestine Action, the group organizing the
protests, has compelled Elbit to quit a site in Britain – a country <a href="https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/david-cronin/failed-british-politician-hired-leading-israel-lobbyist">identified</a> by the firm as a priority for sales and investment.</p>
<p>Earlier this year, Elbit <a href="https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/asa-winstanley/israels-elbit-sells-uk-arms-factory-targeted-activists">confirmed</a> it had sold Ferranti, its subsidiary based in Oldham, near Manchester.</p>
<p>Palestine Action’s protests – which often involve smashing up weapons facilities – have <a href="https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/david-cronin/app-makes-killing-palestinians-easy-ordering-pizzas">angered</a> Israel and its supporters.</p>
<p>One of Israel’s most influential <a href="https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/asa-winstanley/how-corrupt-british-minister-priti-patel-lied-israel">backers</a> in Britain is Priti Patel, the home secretary.</p>
<p>She has effectively declared war on Palestinian solidarity activists by <a href="https://cfoi.co.uk/home-secretary-underlines-uk-governments-unflinching-support-for-the-state-of-israel-at-cfi-parliamentary-reception/">claiming</a> that the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement is racist – without presenting any evidence.</p>
<p>Patel has <a href="https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3154">proposed</a> new legislation which targets the kind of protests Palestine Action has undertaken.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/58-03/0007/220007.pdf">National Security Bill</a>
– as the legislation is called – gives the police powers to designate
as “prohibited places” areas where an “aircraft, or a part of an
aircraft, used for military purposes” or “equipment relating to such an
aircraft” is located.</p>
<h2>Little opposition</h2>
<p>Following the sale of its plant in Oldham and the closure of its London offices, Elbit now <a href="https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/asa-winstanley/uk-admits-activists-forced-elbit-sell-factory">operates</a> out of eight sites in Britain.</p>
<p>Elbit-owned plants – which <a href="https://uavenginesltd.co.uk/products/">make</a>
engines for drones among other components – could conceivably be given a
protected status once the legislation comes into effect.</p>
<p>Introduced to Britain’s Parliament in May, the bill has so far encountered little opposition.</p>
<p>Most elected representatives appear to either welcome how it would
penalize direct action against the arms trade or have no concern about
its likely implications.</p>
<p>The bill’s stated <a href="https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9559/">objective</a> is to replace “existing counter-espionage laws with a comprehensive framework for countering hostile state activity.”</p>
<p>The approach being taken is so “comprehensive” that it is
questionable whether the bill is really focused on spying in the
conventional sense of that term. Many of its provisions could be used
against ordinary people seeking to disrupt the weapons business.</p>
<p>The bill enables life imprisonment for anyone who obtains or
discloses “protected information” and behaves in a way deemed
“prejudicial to the safety or interests of the United Kingdom.”</p>
<p>Elbit <a href="https://www.elbitsystems-uk.com/about-us/vision-mission">describes</a> itself as an “established supplier to the UK Armed Forces” and was recently <a href="https://www.thedefensepost.com/2022/04/01/elbit-drone-swarms-uk/">awarded</a> a contract to deliver surveillance drones to the British Army.</p>
<h2>Sabotage</h2>
<p>A section on “sabotage” in the bill is highly relevant to Palestine Action.</p>
<p>“Sabotage” is defined as “conduct that results in damage to any
asset,” particularly if the purpose of that activity “is prejudicial to
the safety or interests of the United Kingdom.”</p>
<p>Palestine Action is <a href="https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/asa-winstanley/palestine-action-legalizing-smashing-israeli-arms-factories">openly committed</a> to damaging and destroying Elbit’s assets in Britain.</p>
<p>While many people have been arrested for breaking into Elbit’s plants
in Britain, nearly all have been acquitted when cases have gone to
court.</p>
<p>The only successful prosecution was against one activist, who <a href="https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/20029764.activist-pay-just-22-1-000-damage-brighton/">was convicted</a> of defacing a JLL site in the English city of Brighton.</p>
<p>The sentence given in that instance was a fine of less than $30 and conditional discharge for three months.</p>
<p>Under a <a href="https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps-page/sentencing">conditional discharge</a>,
somebody convicted of an “offense” is released with the “offense”
registered on their criminal record. No further action is taken if no
other “offense” is committed within a stated period.</p>
<p>Elbit has displayed a reluctance to press charges against protesters –
no doubt because the company fears that evidence about the use of its
weapons in attacks on Palestinians will be produced in court.</p>
<p>The new bill could shield Elbit and other weapons makers from scrutiny.</p>
<p>For example, courts would be able to “exclude the public from
proceedings” if doing so is deemed “necessary in the interests of
national security.”</p>
<p>A Palestine Action campaigner argued that the British government is
“running scared of the effectiveness of direct action deployed against
Elbit.”</p>
<p>“If this bill is custom built to increase consequences for taking
action against Elbit, as it seems to be, it clearly exposes the alliance
between Britain and Israel’s apartheid regime,” the campaigner, who
spoke on condition of anonymity, added.</p>
<p>“No matter what efforts they take to stop our campaign, we will not
be moved. While the government wastes time legislating against us,
Palestine Action will get on with the job of shutting down the remaining
Israeli arms factories in Britain.”</p>
<p><em>Kit Klarenberg is an investigative journalist exploring the role
of intelligence services in shaping politics and perceptions. Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/KitKlarenberg/">@KitKlarenberg</a>.</em></p><br>
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