SUNDAY saw England play against Italy at the Allianz-sponsored Twickenham Stadium, in the Six Nations Rugby Tournament. In the 67th-minute of the match, a Palestine Action drone appeared above the stadium flying the Palestine flag.

Unlike the Elbit drones used to kill and maim Palestinians, Palestine Action’s drone came in peace but with a message: for stadium owners Allianz, Elbit’s insurers — demanding Allianz stop insuring Elbit.

Elbit Systems, Israel's biggest weapons producer, provides 85 per cent of Israel’s killer drone fleet and land-based equipment, as well as missiles, munitions and digital warfare. Elbit’s quadcopter drones are routinely used to massacre Palestinians in Gaza. Dr Nazim Mamode recalled in Parliament how such drones are used to commit war crimes in Gaza: “What I found particularly disturbing was that a bomb would drop, maybe on a crowded tented area, and then the drones would come down and pick off civilians, children.”

He went on to explain how he routinely operated on children who would say “I was lying on the ground after a bomb had dropped and this quadcopter came down and hovered over me and shot me.”

Elbit’s business model relies on using Palestinians as test-subjects for their latest weaponry, which is often marketed as “battle-tested” as a result. By providing the legally required “employers liability” insurance for Elbit to operate in Britain, Allianz is directly facilitating the production of Israeli weapons.

Palestine Action’s direct action campaign is focused on shutting down Israeli weapons factories on British soil and targets those who facilitate the deadly trade, including Elbit’s insurers Allianz. The group has already targeted dozens of Allianz’s offices across Britain and Europe, forcing them to temporarily close on several occasions. 

Similar Palestine Action campaigns have resulted in several companies ending their association with Elbit, such as Barclays, lobby firm APCO and shipping giant Kuehne+Nagel.

A Palestine Action spokesperson said: “Without the insurance provided by Allianz, Elbit could not build Israeli weapons in Britain which are tested on Palestinians. The military killer drones made by Elbit come to kill and maim Palestinians, however our drone came with a simple message: Allianz must drop Elbit.”