5 anti-Israel ‘Palestine Action’ members appear in German court on charges of smashing Elbit office

Five people appeared in court in Stuttgart today on charges of causing about 1 million euros ($1.17 million) of damage at the German site of an Israeli defense company, the court says.

Prosecutors say the defendants, aged 25 to 40, trespassed and shouted pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel statements as they smashed office equipment, measuring devices and windows at the business in the southern city of Ulm, the court adds.

According to the charges, the defendants acted as members of the “Palestine Action Germany” organization, which later published videos claiming responsibility for the attack. The defendants, who are not named, are Irish, British, Spanish and German, prosecutors have said.

News outlets including Stuttgarter Zeitung and broadcaster SWR said the vandalized office belonged to Israeli defense electronics firm Elbit Systems.

Elbit, which has an office in Ulm, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The court did not identify Elbit as the target of the Ulm attack but said the company had been the target of attacks by “Palestine Action” groups in 2024.