On May 29, just following the murder of George Floyd, the city of Minneapolis looked like a war zone. Heavily armored military vehicles rolled down the streets, police lined up in riot gear, and drones buzzed overhead.
Did you know that the Minnesota State Board of Investments holds around 10,000 shares, worth a whopping $1.2 million, in Israel’s largest weapons company, Elbit Systems — the world’s largest exporter of drones?
Elbit has been involved in all of the major Israeli assaults in Gaza, contracts with the US Department of Homeland Security for, among other things, a virtual surveillance wall at the US -Mexico border, and markets its equipment to governments around the world as “battle-tested” (on the Palestinian civilians). Elbit drones constantly fly over Gaza, providing surveillance targeting for military assaults and Israeli snipers that hit peaceful protesters.
What are the odds that the drones over Minneapolis were Elbit drones, especially given that Metropolitan State University, located in the Minneapolis–St. Paul, metropolitan area, partners with Elbit on a state of the art cyber-security training facility? A number of Democrats in Congress have written to the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf expressing “grave concern” over the use of drones over Minneapolis on May 29 to “surveil and intimidate” protesters.
'Combat Proven': Israel's thriving war business in Europe @AJEnglish https://t.co/jNMen1nHi8
— CAGE (@UK_CAGE) December 24, 2018
US -Israeli military corporation partnerships are only part of the story. Thanks to the work of our partners at Jewish Voice for Peace, US police training with the Israeli military are being exposed.
The Deadly Exchange campaign explains how these programs share, promote, and extend discriminatory and repressive policing in both countries. US police learn from the Israeli military and the Israeli military learns from US police departments the tactics of urban warfare, racial profiling, extrajudicial executions .. shoot-to-kill policies, and massive networks for spying and surveillance.
From Palestine to the US, Elbit is providing these tools to spy, surveil, and target.
In solidarity with all peaceful protesters from Minneapolis to Palestine.
– Ariel Gold and the entire CODEPINK team: Ann, Asia, Carley, Caty, Cody, Emily, Jodie, Kelsey, Leila, Leonardo, Makena, Mary, Medea, Michelle, Nancy, Paki, Teri, and Yousef. (To take action and ask Gov. Tim Walz to divest Minnesota from Elbit, please click here. )
