Ohioans Blockade Boeing Facility Tied to Israeli War Machine

Action report from recent anti-war blockade in so-called Heath, Ohio against Boeing.

On March 11th in Heath, Ohio, local residents blockaded a Boeing facility with clear connections to the Israeli states genocide against Palestinians since October 7th and decades before. This direct action was done to target the facility for its development of technologies, that aid in the aircraft used by the Israeli government.

As a company, Boeing has had deep ties to Israel, since 1948, resulting in their operations adding $3.5 billion to Israeli economy over the last 7 decades. [1] From August 5th to 7th, 2022, Israel’s offensive in Gaza utilized Boeing attack helicopters and fighter jets, resulting in the deaths of 44 Palestinians, among whom were 15 children and 4 women. [2]

“Boeing is uniquely positioned to disarm the harrowing acts of violence being committed by the Israeli state against Palestinian people. Boeing reminds us all that where we stand on Palestine is a choice between valuing wealth or humanity. We demand that Boeing act with humanity for once: divest from genocide, ” stated Ash, an Ohio resident of Palestinian descent

Ohio has a long history of colluding with the state of Israel, from Governor John Kasich’s long history of Zionism to the pushing for Israeli aid to the Columbus Division of Police training with Israeli organizations. [3] [4] Ohio residents and organizers, who are part of this blockade, are deeply aware of the interconnectedness between the militarization of police in the United States and the ongoing war crimes committed by the IOF through shared training practices and genocidal reasoning. Ohio state officials have Palestinian blood on their hands, as noted in a 2021 Columbus Free Press article that states that Ohio has $220 million in Israel Bonds (“…the highest amount for any state in the US.”). [5] Additionally, Ohio taxpayers contribute $108,326,244 a year to the Israeli military. [6]

Ohio residents against this ongoing genocide encourage other community members to diverse modes of resistance to be in solidarity with Palestinians, whether it be pushing politicians to call for a ceasefire, holding suppliers of weaponry and technology accountable, or supporting Palestinians in their community. They demand an end to Israeli occupation of Palestine.

NOTES:

[1] https://www.boeing.com/content/dam/boeing/boeingdotcom/company/key_orgs/boeing-global/pdf/israelbackgrounder.pdf

[2] https://www.whoprofits.org/companies/company/7372?boeing-company

[3] https://www.timesofisrael.com/kasich-signs-ohio-state-law-banning-boycotts-of-israel/

[4] https://www.facebook.com/ColumbusPoliceTraining/posts/1536942153136939/

[5] https://columbusfreepress.com/article/ohio-taxpayers-invest-most-israel%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%9Capartheid-regime%E2%80%9D

[6] https://uscpr.org/activist-resource/us-military-funding-to-israel-map/