Despite a significant police presence and numerous arrests, 1,000 activists entered two arms companies complicit in Israel's genocide and colonial project this morning: Syensqo and OIP-Elbit. The Stop Arming Israel campaign demands a halt to the production of military equipment and its transit to Israel from Belgium. The action aims to enforce the military embargo against Israel imposed by Belgium in 2009 and demand sanctions against Israel, including the cancellation of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
At 7:45 this morning, several groups of hundreds of Stop Arming Israel activists converged on Syensqo (spin-off of Solvay) facilities in Brussels to completely shut down the company's operations. Entrances of the facilities were blocked, the building's facade was painted red, and banners denounced Syensqo's involvement in the genocide in Gaza.
Earlier in the night, approximately 100 people took direct action in an OIP warehouse (owned by Israeli company Elbit) in Tournai, where military equipment is stored. Individuals entered the warehouse and painted military equipment.
Several dozens of police officers were deployed to prevent this civil disobedience action from taking place. Dozens of people were arrested, with cases of police violence. Camille, a participant in the action, reacted, "Through this repression, the government's reveals its priorities. Instead of acting to stop a genocide, they are cracking down on people trying to stop the war machine."
The Stop Arming Israel campaign aims to expose at least 10 companies involved in the Israeli arms sector in Belgium: OIP-Elbit, Safran, Thales, BMT Aerospace, Sabca, Caterpillar, Challenge Handling, Maersk, Scioteq, and Syensqo. All of these companies are involved to varying degrees through the transit of weapons or the production of military equipment in Belgium for their use in Israel. The Israeli army benefits from total impunity not only for its actions in Palestine, but also for agressions against Lebanon, Syrian, Iran or Yemen.
In Tournai, the action targeted OIP, owned by Elbit, Israel’s largest arms company. Elbit supplies 85% of Israeli drones and most of the ground military equipment used by the Israeli army. Camille, a participant in the action, said: "Elbit is the industrial arm of the genocide in Palestine. The fact that this company has subsidiaries in Belgium and generates profits here is unacceptable."
In Brussels, the action targeted Syensqo, which sells its products to UAV Tactical Systems (co-owned by Elbit), enabling the production of the Hermes 450 drones. The Israeli army uses this drone for lethal strikes targeting civilians, including aid workers. For Sacha, "Syensqo knowingly supplies the key component of a device widely known for its use in war crimes by Israel. Syensqo cannot ignore its complicity in the ongoing genocide: an action targeted the companies’ shareholders last May."
Stop Arming Israel is part of an international movement of solidarity for the liberation of Palestine. For the collective, "The genocide starts here. We have a moral duty to cut the Israeli army's supply chains. The impunity and crimes of the Israeli government must end. Faced with the complicity of our governments, we are applying sanctions ourselves and enforcing the military embargo that Belgium is supposed to be enforcing."
