BDS victory: UK metal supplier cuts ties with Israeli defense firm

After months of sabotage and pressure from anti-Israel activists, a UK weapons parts manufacturer has reportedly ended its relationship with Israeli defense giant Elbit Systems.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

A British company producing metal components for weapons is ending its partnership with the Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems, after intense pressure from BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) activists, anti-Israel group Palestine Action announced in a triumphant post on social media.

In late March, Palestine Action activists camped out on the roof of a Dean Group manufacturing site in Manchester, England, smashing solar panels and windows. They also splattered paint – which the group said “symbolized Palestinian blood” – across the building.

Some eight months earlier, activists broke into the same site, smashing critical machinery and causing significant damage. Palestine Action claimed their actions were justified because Dean Group provides elements for weapons, including drones, produced by Elbit Systems.

Palestine Action’s strategy seems to have paid off — after repeated disruptions, Dean Group has reportedly ended its relationship with Elbit Systems.

“Dean Group, Manchester-based specialists and manufacturers of metal castings, has refused to work with Israel’s biggest weapons firm again! The company was identified as a target in Israel’s military supply chain following a discovery of their parts inside Elbit’s Kent weapons factory during an action against the site,” read an Instagram post by Palestine Action.

“During the summer of 2024, actionists [activists who engaged in criminal vandalism and burglary] damaged machinery inside Dean Group’s foundry to stop the production site of metal components. More recently, others occupied the roof and dismantled the premises,” the group added.

Palestine Action said that a representative from Dean Group had emailed them to “confirm” that they are no longer working with Elbit Systems.

“Another link in Elbit’s war machine has been smashed. Dean Group’s decision to…reject Elbit Systems entirely…proves that sustained direct action works,” said a Palestine Action spokesperson in a media statement.

“This is not just a symbolic win — it’s an operational blow to Elbit’s ability to produce the weapons used to massacre Palestinians.”

Elbit Systems has not publicly commented on its partnership with Dean Group.