Barclays: Banking on Apartheid
Militarised violence against the Palestinian people is a central feature of Israel’s occupation and apartheid regime – including the illegal Apartheid Wall, demolitions of Palestinian homes, brutal armed crackdowns on Palestinians protestors, and indiscriminate bombing campaigns of the Gaza Strip.
This system is maintained through the involvement of governments and business enterprises around the world. Financial institutions in the UK provide investment, loans, and other financial services to companies supplying Israel with weapons and military technology used to oppress Palestinians.
We’ve uncovered that Barclays Bank holds over £1 billion in shares, and provides over £3 billion in loans and underwriting to 9 companies whose weapons, components, and military technology have been used in Israel’s armed violence against Palestinians. By providing investment and financial services to these arms companies, Barclays facilitates the provision of weapons and technology for Israel’s militarised repression of Palestinians.
Alongside War on Want and Campaign Against Arms Trade, we're calling on Barclays Bank to #StopBankingOnApartheid
Barclays... we're not going away!
Keep the pressure on Barclays by taking action at a Barclays branch near you, and demand it #StopBankingOnApartheid.
On 1 October campaigners protested at 25+ Barclays branches across Britain to demand the bank halt its business ties with companies manufacturing weapons and military technology used by Israel in its militarised violence against Palestinians.
Since then, actions have been taking place at Barclays branches in towns and cities every week. We’ve made it clear that we won’t be going away, and we won’t just be ignored.
We’ll keep ramping up the pressure on Barclays to stop facilitating Israel’s regime of ethnic cleansing, military occupation, and apartheid.
That’s why we’re calling for coordinated actions at Barclays branches across Britain on 26 November, the Saturday before the UN Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
Across Palestine and in exile, Palestinians are resisting Israel’s regime of oppression. They are calling for solidarity with their struggle against Israeli apartheid, including through campaigns to end the complicity of financial institutions like Barclays.
It’s up to us to keep demanding that Barclays #StopBankingOnApartheid.
1 October: 25+ actions outside Barclays bank branches across Britain
Bristol
On Saturday 1 October, actions took place outside dozens of Barclays branches across Britain, calling on the bank to divest from, and end all financial relationships with, companies supplying weapons and military technology to Israel, used in militarised violence against Palestinians.
Campaigners picketed Barclays branches from Brighton to Manchester, Hitchin to Hereford, to inform Barclays customers of the bank’s complicity in Israel’s regime of military occupation and apartheid.
Research by PSC, War on Want, and Campaign Against Arms Trade has identified that Barclays invests over £1.3billion in such companies. The companies includes Elbit Systems, an Israeli arms manufacturer which provides 85% of the drones used by the Israeli military, and General Dynamics, which produces gun systems that arm Israel’s F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, utilised in Israel’s repeated aerial bombardments of the besieged Gaza Strip.
Until Barclays ends its complicity in Israeli apartheid, we’ll continue to take action! Contact your local PSC branch to find out about actions near you.
Take action today by writing to Barclays’ senior management – and demand the bank stops facilitating the provision of weapons and military technology to Israel.
Watch: Campaign Launch Webinar
Catch up on our campaign launch event to learn more about Israel’s repression of Palestinians struggling for liberation, and learn more about we can take action to demand Barclays end their complicity in injustice.
Our research has uncovered that Barclays Bank provides hundreds of millions of pounds worth of investment, loans, and other financial services to companies supplying Israel with military technology used in the repression of Palestinians – including investments in Israeli arms manufacturer, Elbit Systems. Elbit Systems specialises in the production of military technology, surveillance systems, and military drones – used to brutalise Palestinians in Israel’s repeated bombardments of the Gaza Strip. Barclays is therefore aiding, and directly profiting from Israel’s occupation and apartheid regime.
Speakers: Ben Jamal, (Chair), Asad Rahman, Budour Hassan, Fiona Ben Chekroun
Resources
- Barclays Banking on Apartheid Report. Download here.
- Barclays Customer? Use our template letter and write to your local bank manager. Download here.
- Barclays: Don’t Bank on Apartheid Leaflet. Download here.
- Barclays: Don’t Bank on Apartheid Placards. Download here.
- Barclays: Don’t Bank on Apartheid Stickers. Download here.
Order print resources by emailing info@palestinecampaign.org.