East Sussex Pension Fund divests from Israeli arms manufacturer
East Sussex Pension Fund has divested from Israel’s largest privately-owned arms company, Elbit Systems, months after human rights activists called the fund to bring an end to its ties to companies which violate international law.
Solidarity to those groups who campaign relentlessly on the ground to achieve success! Together – we will #ShutElbitDown @BrightonPSC @HRyepsc https://t.co/MmXjfpPofe
— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) February 12, 2021
Since May 2020, campaigners have flooded council meetings with over 60 letters demanding the fund divests from Elbit, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign said in a statement.
📢BREAKING📢
East Sussex Pension Fund has divested from complicit Israeli company Elbit Systems after lobbying by scheme members and campaigners!
Full story👉 https://t.co/lCiDX4M0gs pic.twitter.com/3mXzPert4e
— PSC (@PSCupdates) February 12, 2021
Lewis Backon, Campaigns Officer at Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) said, “The exclusion of Elbit Systems is a great victory for scheme members in East Sussex. Elbit produce weapons that are used repeatedly in Israel’s war crimes against the civilian population of besieged Gaza. But the fund must go further and commit to exclude any company complicit in Israel’s violations of international law.”
Aidan Pettitt, scheme member of East Sussex Pension Fund said, “I’m relieved no more of my deferred wages will be invested in Elbit Systems, whose weapons are used to oppress Palestinian civilians. Going forward, the fund must act to ensure members’ wages aren’t invested in companies aiding Israel’s grave abuses of Palestinian human rights.”
Elbit provides the Israeli occupation with around 85% of its killer drones. These drones murdered 164 Palestinian children in Gaza in 2014 and Israeli occupation uses them in daily surveillance and regular attacks.
The company’s profits skyrocketed after its equipment was used in the brutal 2014 assault on Gaza, helping ‘Israel’ to seal contracts with militaries all over the world.
In 2018, Elbit purchased IMI Systems, known for producing cluster munitions, the IOF’s sole supplier of small calibre ammunition.
So not only are the drones in the skies made by Elbit, the bullets being shot by Israeli occupation snipers are also made by Elbit.
Israeli F-16 fighter jets and Apache and Cobra attack helicopters are all made with Elbit equipment.
They have repeatedly been used to attack civilian areas, homes and refugee camps, resulting in thousands of casualties in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon.
Also, Elbit’s Hermes 450 is one of the most used drones in the world. The company markets the drone as “combat proven”, having battle-tested it on Palestinian people.
Elbit’s biggest single customer is the “Israeli Ministry of Defence,” the war criminals.
