Last year, RMIT announced a two-year partnership with Elbit Systems to develop drones for mass evacuations.
Protestors gathered outside the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) on Monday to show opposition to the university’s collaboration with Israeli defence company Elbit Systems. The action was organised by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction Melbourne, calling for the complete boycott of ties with Elbit.
Elbit Systems is an Israel-based multinational arms and security company, which develops and supplies surveillance technology, land and naval systems, and electronic warfare suites, amongst other products.
As Israel’s largest private weapons company, Elbit has drawn international condemnation and divestment for supporting the continuing apartheid and oppression of Palestine. Elbit drones have been used to attack and surveil civilians in Gaza, and their electronics are used for an Israeli separation wall which was found to be illegal by the International Court of Justice.
In 2021, the Victorian government announced a partnership with the Australian branch of Elbit Systems, establishing a Centre of Excellence for Human and Machine Teaming in Melbourne.
Last year, RMIT announced a two-year partnership with Elbit Systems to develop drones for mass evacuations during natural disasters and other catastrophes. Elbit already provides digitisation technologie such as unmanned systems to the Australian Defence Force.
Read the article by Andy Parks in Honi Soit.