Israel’s Largest Arms Maker Shuts UK Plant After Palestine Action Campaign: Report

The British factory of Israeli weapons giant Elbit Systems has apparently shut down after years of direct action by the activist group Palestine Action, The Guardian reported Saturday.

Elbit Systems UK had leased the site at Bristol’s Aztec West business park since 2019, with the agreement running until 2029. But when reporters visited the factory this week, they found it deserted, guarded only by a single security officer. The company declined to comment.

The facility was repeatedly targeted by Palestine Action, whose banned activists staged dozens of high-profile protests — from locking themselves to entrances and scaling roofs to smashing windows and spraying the building in red paint.

Elbit Systems is Israel’s largest arms manufacturer, with $6.8 billion in reported revenues last year. The company produces drones heavily used in Gaza, as well as parts for jets, helicopters, land vehicles and naval systems.

Its UK arm has faced mounting financial and operational pressure. Accounts show a $6.3 million operating loss last year, reversing a $5.1 million profit in 2023. In 2024, Elbit offloaded Elite KL — its West Midlands-based subsidiary — citing rising security costs due to Palestine Action’s protests. The firm was rebranded as Calatherm, which pledged to sever all defense ties with Elbit. In 2022, Elbit also sold its Oldham-based Ferranti P&C site following an 18-month campaign by activists.

Meanwhile, Elbit’s second Bristol site, located in Filton, remains a target. Twenty-four Palestine Action members face trial on charges including criminal damage, violent disorder, aggravated burglary and, in one case, grievous bodily harm with intent.

Despite the setbacks, Elbit is part of a consortium vying for a $2.7 billion UK Ministry of Defence contract, according to Private Eye. Former minister Peter Hain has urged Defence Secretary Jon Healey to block the bid, citing Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

Global arms trade expert Andrew Feinstein called the Bristol closure “extremely significant,” stressing that Elbit, alongside Israel Aerospace Industries, is central to Israel’s military-industrial complex.