Pro-Palestinian activists struck again at the BNP Paribas branch in De Pinte on the night of March 24 to March 25. The group that claimed the action cited BNP’s investments in the Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems as the reason for its action. The activists smashed windows, smeared the building with red paint, and left behind the slogan “Shut down Elbit.”
This is not the first time BNP Paribas has been targeted by pro-Palestinian activists. In recent years, there have already been dozens of actions against BNP across the country. The activists condemn the cowardly way in which BNP Paribas, after years of genocide and activism, continues to hide behind bureaucratic rules.
“BNP Paribas continues to profit unscrupulously from the genocide of the Palestinians by investing in Israeli companies, including Elbit. To do so while the evidence regarding the impact of these investments is so clear and abundant is incomprehensible and unequivocally immoral.”
Research by the coalition of civil society organizations Don’t Buy Into Occupation shows that BNP invests in Elbit. In 2023, for example, BNP Paribas lent $91 million to Elbit. More recently, in 2025, a U.S. division of BNP Paribas purchased $2 million in new shares of Elbit Systems.
Elbit Systems is Israel’s largest arms manufacturer and one of the Israeli military’s main arms suppliers. The company is an “essential industrial arm of the genocide against the Palestinians,” according to the activists. Elbit’s involvement in war crimes has been documented by, among others, the International Court of Justice and numerous human rights organizations.
The action group therefore demands that BNP sever all ties with and investments in Elbit. “In addition, we call on all citizens to boycott BNP. Don’t give your money to a bank that supports war crimes!”
The action is part of a larger campaign by Stop Arming Israel Belgium. Stop Arming Israel Belgium launched a call for actions against Elbit Systems in Belgium. The goal of these actions is to sever all ties that companies in Belgium have with Elbit, so that "Elbit is pressured to leave Belgium." The activists want to “be part of a larger campaign against Elbit, with the goal of shutting down Elbit completely.”