Activists Protest Against Allianz Over Ties to Zionist Military Firm
LONDON (Dispatches) – A
pro-Palestine group has targeted 15 Allianz offices across Britain and Europe over the German company’s investments in an Israeli military firm.
Palestine Action targeted three Allianz offices in Germany on Tuesday, in addition to the insurance company’s office in London.
Protesters also targeted the company’s regional offices in the UK, located in Croydon, Bristol, Newcastle and Glasgow, spraying red paint on the buildings and smashing some of their windows.
“Allianz insures and invests in Elbit Systems, making it possible for the Israeli weapons firm to operate in Britain,” the group said on social media. “We will cost the company more than they gain by working with Elbit, until they cut ties.”
In a separate post, the group said that it was intensifying pressure on the insurance company to cut ties with the Zionist regime’s largest arms company.
“We respect everyone’s right to have and express their opinion,” said an Allianz spokesperson. “However, we have zero tolerance for any criminal behavior that threatens the safety or security of our people, property and business. Our business operations and service to customers and clients remain unaffected.”
In October, Palestine Action targeted 10 Allianz offices across the UK in a similar protest over the company’s alleged links to the Zionist regime’s Elbit Systems.
Meanwhile, the UAE-based advanced defense technology firm, EDGE, has announced plans to invest $10 million for a 30 percent stake in Israel’s Thirdeye Systems, a company specializing in AI-driven electro-optical solutions for detecting drones and unmanned aerial vehicles.
According to the Times of Israel, the deal is pending approval from the Zionist regime’s war ministry.
Netanya-based Thirdeye revealed on Tuesday that EDGE has also committed an additional $12 million to establish a joint venture focused on developing and marketing electro-optical object recognition systems in new international markets.
Under the agreement, EDGE will hold a 51 percent majority stake in the joint venture, while Thirdeye will retain 43 percent, with the remaining 6 percent allocated to a third party.
Despite the UAE’s normalization of diplomatic ties with the Zionist regime in 2020, many Emirati companies have distanced themselves from openly conducting business with Israeli firms in the past 15 months, due to widespread criticism of Israel in the Arab world and its 15 month genocide in Gaza. While Abu Dhabi has condemned Israel’s military operations in Gaza, diplomatic ties between the two sides have persisted.