Shut Elbit down!

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Israel's largest arms manufacturer, Elbit Systems, is one of the leading developers of drones and surveillance technology in the world. Elbit Systems' products sustain Israel's occupation of Palestine and play a central role in Israel's war crimes against the Palestinian population. As part of the Israeli military industry, Elbit Systems is thus of crucial importance to the Israeli state and military equipment, "quality assured" on Palestinians, is an important export for the country.

In recent years, Sweden's purchases of Israeli military equipment have increased significantly. For example, in 2020, the Swedish Armed Forces purchased a large number of military radio systems from Elbit Systems; in 2022, Elbit's Albatross battle management system was purchased for the Swedish Navy; and in October 2023, Sweden signed a ten-year contract worth SEK 1.7 billion for Elbit to "lead the rollout of the army's digitalization program". In 2021, Elbit Systems considered Sweden to be such a promising market that a Swedish branch was established, and recently Elbit can be found at Långfilsgatan 5 in Gothenburg. The Swedish state is thus directly responsible for supporting the Israeli war machine.‌‌

We who launch this call want to create a world free from oppression, occupation and war. Shutting down Elbit would be a major blow to apartheid and racism internationally and a victory for the global struggle against war and militarization. Evicting Elbit Systems from Sweden is an excellent first step towards a full boycott of Israel, and by linking arms and persistently, diligently and consciously striving towards our goal, even the smallest steps will lead to victory.

Shut all war machines down - Elbit out of Sweden! Shut Elbit down! #ShutElbitDown

What is Elbit Systems?

Elbit Systems is Israel’s largest arms company, with their broad range of activities generating a broad influence in Israel’s militarised, securitised occupation of Palestine. Elbit supplies the Israeli military with 85% of their drones and 85% of their land-based equipment. The company’s surveillance equipment monitors Palestinians through drone operations, at border points, and across Israel’s apartheid wall. Elbit supplies the IDF with all of its small calibre munitions through subsidiary IMI Systems, while its armed remote-control boats which have attacked Palestinian fishermen. Their Hermes drones have been used for extrajudical killings in foreign countries such as Sudan and operations in Egypt, while enabling the slaughter of Palestinians inside Gaza. They were used extensively in the 2008 and 2014 assaults on Gaza, in which Israel killed 1,417 and 2,202 Palestinians respectively, including four boys killed by a Hermes attack while playing on a beach in Gaza in 2014.

Elbit’s business model is then to sell these technologies on to fuel imperialism elsewhere. Its drones have not only been deployed by British military and border operations, but are employed by the EU’s militarised border agency Frontex. The same technologies outfitting Israel’s apartheid wall run along the US’ border wall with Mexico, and are used for monitoring of indigenous lands. Elbit drones have been puchased in major volumes by India, in turn deploying them in violent military campaigns perpetuating the repression of Kashmiri populations.