Palestine Action US is the American branch of Palestine Action, a U.K.-based anti-Israel organization. Both organizations aim to dismantle the ability for the Israeli state to carry out its foreign policy objectives by obstructing the facilities that produce arms for Israel.

In 2023, the Washington Free Beacon reported that an heir to the Cox Enterprises family fortune, James “Fergie” Chambers, had been funding Palestine Action US to pay for its legal fees. ¹

Background

Palestine Action was created in July 2020. Its opening act was to vandalize the U.K. headquarters of defense contractor Elbit Systems, which conducts business with the State of Israel. “Palestine Action has launched; join us; get mobilised; take action; end complicity in Israel’s war crimes & apartheid regime,” its official account wrote in a Twitter post. ² Palestine Action US is the American branch of Palestine Action. ³

The organization has a sign-up form on its website for individuals interested in becoming activists. It asks applicants, “Are you interested in taking director action against Israel’s arms trade?”, “If Yes to the above, have you taken part in a Palestine action direct action workshop?”, and “Are you prepared to support actionists at court and police stations?” ⁴

Activities

Palestine Action became active during the 2021 conflict between Israel and Hamas. Some of its protestors broke into a factory in Leicester, England, and took pictures of drones mid-production. They occupied the building for at least a week, halting production. ⁵

It claims to have cost Israel’s largest arms firm, Elbit Systems, tens of millions of dollars in losses since then. According to Palestine Action’s website, it has shut down two of Elbit Systems’ ten plants in the U.K., resulting in the arrests of over 250 of its activists. It encourages supporters to help funds its legal defense program to pursue “battle” against the Israeli arms trade, the “British state,” and the U.K. legal system. ⁶

In November 2023, Palestine Action US occupied an Elbit Systems factory in New Hampshire. In return, the organization announced that three activists reportedly received felony charges for disrupting factory operations. ⁷ Meanwhile, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, nine Palestine Action US activists were arrested for breaking down barriers and attempting to vandalize an Elbit Systems location. ⁸

In December 2023, Palestine Action claimed credit for convincing recruiting service iO Associates to drop Elbit as a client after two months of activist demonstrations at iO Associates’ locations. ⁹

Funding

In November 2023, James “Fergie” Chambers told Los Angeles Magazine that he had been paying the legal fees of Palestine Action members arrested in various demonstrations. “I chant death to America every day,” Chambers said, “Imperialism is the death of humanity.” Chambers is an heir to the family fortune of Cox Enterprises, which Forbes considers one of the world’s wealthiest dynasties. ¹⁰ Chambers has reportedly inherited hundreds of millions of dollars of his family’s wealth. ¹¹

1. Costescu, Jessica. “He’s a Communist Trust Fund Baby Who Inherited Millions. Now, He’s Using Daddy’s Money To Harass Jews.” Free Beacon, November 14, 2023. Accessed December 3, 2023. https://freebeacon.com/israel/hes-a-communist-trust-fund-baby-who-inherited-millions-now-hes-using-daddys-money-to-harass-jews/.
2. Egret, Eliza. “Israeli arms company in London is targeted as activists launch Palestine Action network.” The Canary, July 30, 2023. Accessed December 3, 2023. https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2020/07/30/israeli-arms-company-in-london-is-targeted-as-activists-launch-palestine-action-network/
3. “Tweet – Palestine Action.” Twitter, November 25, 2023. Accessed December 3, 2023. https://twitter.com/Pal_action/status/1728512081148751955.
4. “Join the Resistance.” Palestine Action. Accessed December 3, 2023. https://www.palestineaction.org/join-the-resistance/.
5. Bedford, Corey. “Palestine Action protestors break into Leicester factory and take pictures of half-built drone.” Leicester Mercury, May 24, 2021. Accessed December 3, 2023. https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/palestine-action-protesters-break-leicester-5450737.
6. “Defence Fund.” Palestine Action. Accessed December 3, 2023. https://www.palestineaction.org/defence-fund/.
7. “Tweet – Palestine Action.” Twitter, November 25, 2023. Accessed December 3, 2023. https://twitter.com/Pal_action/status/1728512081148751955.
8. WBZ-News Staff. “9 arrested after police assaulted during protest outside Israeli defense contractor in Cambridge.” CBS News, October 30, 2023. Accessed December 3, 2023. https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/protesters-arrested-police-assault-elbit-systems-israeli-defense-contractor-cambridge/.
9. “Recruiters Drop Elbit Systems after Palestine Action Campaign.” Palestine Action, December 1, 2023. Accessed December 3, 2023. https://www.palestineaction.org/recruiters-drop-elbit/.
10. McPhee, Michele. “Heir to Cox Family Fortune: ‘I Chant Death to America Every Day’ (Exclusive).” LA Mag, October 27, 2023. Accessed December 3, 2023. https://lamag.com/crimeinla/cox-family-heir-james-fergie-chambers-funding-palestine-action-in-exclusive-funding-palestinian-action-us.
11. Costescu, Jessica. “He’s a Communist Trust Fund Baby Who Inherited Millions. Now, He’s Using Daddy’s Money To Harass Jews.” Free Beacon, November 14, 2023. Accessed December 3, 2023. https://freebeacon.com/israel/hes-a-communist-trust-fund-baby-who-inherited-millions-now-hes-using-daddys-money-to-harass-jews/.