Israeli arms company drops plans for factory site in Germany’s Sangerhausen amid protests

Israeli defense company Elbit Systems has abandoned plans for a production facility in the eastern German town of Sangerhausen after months of protests by local groups and peace activists, according to media reports.

The company's German unit told the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung newspaper that the site was not suitable for its needs and failed to meet key operational requirements, so it would no longer be considered in further site selection.

Residents, peace activists and groups had demonstrated for months, accusing the firm of involvement in war crimes and genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Claudia Wittig, a senior lawmaker for the left-wing BSW in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament, welcomed the decision.

"Resistance works!" she wrote in a social media post. "Together we have shown that there will be no profits on our soil from the killings in Gaza."

Wittig called the withdrawal a signal to peace movements in Germany. "We have the power to pull the plug on the arms industry. In Sangerhausen, in Leipzig, in Osnabrueck—everywhere!" she added.

Elbit Systems Deutschland held talks for months with local authorities about a plant in a planned industrial park in Saxony-Anhalt. The project faced strong opposition from residents, activists, local business owners and farmers. Critics objected to weapons production by a company whose equipment is used in Israel's military operations in Gaza. Businesses and farmers also raised concerns about skilled-labor shortages and the loss of farmland.