A COMPANY which recruited workers for an Israeli arms manufacturer in Britain has ended its association with the firm after Palestine supporters targeted it for protests.

The iO Associates was the sole recruitment agency for Israeli-owned Elbit Systems, which makes military drones for Israel and is the country’s biggest arms manufacturer.

Headquartered in Bristol, iO Associates recruited workers such as engineers, software developers and finance workers for Elbit.

Direct action group Palestine Action targeted iO’s offices in London, Reading, Manchester and Edinburgh for raids and occupations.

The firm’s Manchester offices were stormed by supporters of Youth Front for Palestine.

Palestine Action said that it was informed in an email from iO that it was ending its association with Elbit.

The group said: “This is part of an expansive strategy by Palestine Action, by disrupting the suppliers and facilitators of Elbit’s presence in Britain.

“It has seen Elbit’s accountants, haulage providers, landlords and many other complicit companies targeted, alongside the hundreds of actions at Elbit sites themselves, continuing to resist the presence of Elbit warmongers in Britain, and constantly reminding those associated with them that they have blood on their hands.

Elbit System has four factories in Britain.

A fifth factory in Oldham in Greater Manchester closed permanently in February last year after 18 months of protests and direct action.

An iO Associates representative hung up when the Morning Star rang to ask for a comment. 

The company did not respond to a written request for a comment.