Palestine Action has just scored another major victory against the Israel lobby and the arms trade. This time, prominent PR firm APCO has dropped notorious Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit as a client, after activists repeatedly targeted the company.
Palestine Action: second victory in a week
After a campaign of disruptive direct action against their London premises by Palestine Action, lobby firm ‘APCO Worldwide’, have ceased their business relationship with Israel’s largest arms firm, Elbit Systems.
On 3 September, the first action against APCO’s premises saw three activists locked-on in front of their 40 Strand, London offices, having first drenched the site in red paint, with a banner reading “Stop lobbying for Genocide. APCO Drop Elbit”. Videos of the action reached millions of people across the world on social media. According to reports, the action sparked internal chaos for APCO, with staff raising complaints of APCO’s dealings with Elbit, and strong protests raised within the company’s offices in the Middle East.
Returning to their London offices again last week, to make clear that all partners of Elbit’s will face Palestine Action, two activists once again blockaded the site, once more drenching it in blood-red paint:
APCO: dropping Elbit
Following this action, APCO Worldwide disavowed Elbit Systems and described them as a “former client” in an email to Palestine Action. APCO have cut ties with the firm which they had previously represented in the inner halls of Westminster and Whitehall.
As listed lobbyists for ‘Elbit Systems UK’ on the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists, APCO previously represented the Israeli weapons maker in the inner halls of Westminster and Whitehall. They would work to strength Elbit’s ties to government and civil servants to secure contracts for weapons which Elbit have “battle-tested” on Palestinians.
The firm’s senior staff includes Lord Polak, who joined APCO when it acquired his pro-Israel lobbying firm ‘The Westminster Connection (TWC)’ in 2018. According to the Sunday Times, TWC was reported as having secured, through a “secret campaign”, a £500,000,000 MoD contract for Elbit in 2012 . The firm also boasted of being able to access anyone “from the prime minister down” for their clients.
Palestine Action: and so we continue
A Palestine Action spokesperson said of APCO’s announcement:
The Israel lobby can be defeated. Longstanding paid lobbyists for Israel’s largest weapons firm were quick to drop their clients after adequate pressure was applied. Ultimately, corrupting our democracy in favour of genocidal entities enables companies like Elbit to continue their operations.
We will cut off every link in Elbit’s network.
As the Canary previously reported, this announcement comes just one day after news broke that Barclays PLC has sold all of its shareholdings in Elbit Systems Ltd (ELST), dropping 16,000 shares in the company after a one-year direct action campaign saw their branches smashed and sprayed red 54 times. The wider campaign also involved Bands Boycott Barclays and local community groups.
Featured image and additional images via Martin Pope
