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What is Elbit Systems, and why did LA synagogue protesters target the Israeli company?
A protest outside Wilshire Boulevard Temple — one of Los Angeles’ oldest synagogues — ended with two arrests Wednesday after demonstrators confronted attendees at an event featuring a speaker from Elbit Systems, the Israeli defense firm whose technology is widely used by Israel’s military and, in some cases, by U.S. law-enforcement and border-security agencies.
Videos posted online showed protesters gathering outside the synagogue’s Audrey Irmas Pavilion, unfurling banners that read “Elbit out of Los Angeles” and “Genociders not welcome.” They handed out flyers accusing the company of supplying “weapons and technology that Israel uses against Palestinian civilians” and that Immigration and Customs Enforcement uses in the U.S.
The reaction was swift. “This behavior is abhorrent and has no place in Los Angeles,” Mayor Karen Bass said. The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles called the demonstration “antisemitism and hate disguised as dissent,” while ADL California said, “Blocking or invading a house of worship is not legitimate protest. It’s intimidation.”
The confrontation underscored the growing attention on Elbit Systems — and the tensions that surround it.
What is Elbit Systems?
Elbit Systems is Israel’s largest privately run defense contractor. Founded in 1966, it has evolved into a multinational firm that manufactures drones, surveillance systems, border-security towers, targeting equipment, and other military electronics used by Israel and a number of foreign governments.
The company has roughly 20,000 employees — most based in Israel — with offices around the globe. Its U.S. subsidiary operates facilities across the country and has long supplied equipment to American defense and homeland-security agencies.
Elbit did not respond to a request for an interview.
Why does Elbit draw protests?
Two main issues animate opposition: Elbit’s role in Israeli military operations and its work for U.S. law enforcement.
Flyers at Wednesday’s demonstration accused the company of producing technology “used against Palestinian civilians.” Protest organizers argue that Elbit’s equipment enables Israeli operations in Gaza and the West Bank.
The Palestinian Youth Movement, one of the groups involved in the synagogue protest in Koreatown, wrote on Instagram: “We KNOW that these technologies are created on the targeting and killing of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, and will do the same to vulnerable communities in Ktown.”
Protest literature also claimed Elbit provides surveillance tools used by ICE and Customs and Border Protection. The company has received contracts to build border-surveillance towers and related systems along parts of the U.S.–Mexico border. It is also on a list of potential contractors for the Pentagon’s Golden Dome missile defense program, a project inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome.
U.S. Elbit facilities are protest sites
Based in Fort Worth, Texas, Elbit Systems of America employs around 3,200 people across 10 states. Several of their U.S. facilities have been the sites of protests.
Merrimack, New Hampshire: An Elbit plant was targeted by pro-Palestinian activists, some of whom climbed onto the roof, deployed smoke devices, spray-painted equipment, smashed windows, and locked building entrances. Among those arrested in the Nov. 2023 incident was a former Disney Channel actress.
Cambridge, Massachusetts: There were repeated protests at this facility beginning in Oct. 2023, five days after the Hamas attack that started the war in Gaza. The office eventually closed down in Aug. 2024.
Ladson, South Carolina: There have been weekly protests at Elbit’s Charleston-area facility since Oct. 2024, with criticism over tax incentives granted to the company. Demonstrators have questioned whether public funds should support a defense-industry site.
Protests are not just in the United States
Since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war, several Elbit facilities in the United Kingdom have been targeted by pro-Palestinian activists — including six who are currently on trial over a 2024 break-in at an Elbit site in Bristol. One is accused of striking a police officer with a sledgehammer. The Bristol facility unexpectedly closed down in September.
In Britain, the government is defending its decision to ban Palestine Action — a group that has repeatedly targeted Elbit facilities — under anti-terror laws. The ban makes membership or public support for the group a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Last month, activists in six countries — Austria, France, Germany, Spain, Taiwan and the U.K. — simultaneously defaced the offices of Allianz, a global insurer that allegedly undewrites Elbit Systems.
Why did the L.A. protest take place at a synagogue?
Wednesday’s talk — titled “Innovating Safety, Empowering Communities” — outside Wilshire Boulevard Temple was co-hosted by the Israeli Consulate General of Los Angeles and included speakers from Elbit, the Israeli police, and the local Jewish federation.
Activist groups, including Koreatown for Palestine, the Palestinian Youth Movement, and People’s City Council Los Angeles, urged supporters to contact the synagogue and arrive early to picket the event.
Jewish leaders argued that demonstrating outside a house of worship crossed a line. Protest organizers framed the action around the event itself and Elbit’s participation in it.
What happens next?
Jewish institutions say they face heightened security concerns when Israel-related events take place in their buildings. Last month, protesters demonstrated at Manhattan’s Park East Synagogue, which was hosting a program on immigration to Israel, including West Bank settlements, which are considered illegal under international law.
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani faced criticism from parts of the Jewish community after he said, through a spokesperson, that “sacred spaces should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law.” Dozens of Jewish groups plan a solidarity rally Thursday night outside Park East.
On Wednesday, a group of New York lawmakers proposed banning protests within 25 feet of houses of worship — the latest indication of how rapidly the debate over safety, speech, and protest is shifting.
Louis Keene contributed to this article.
The post What is Elbit Systems, and why did LA synagogue protesters target the Israeli company? appeared first on The Forward.
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Trump Safe After Being Rushed from White House Correspondents Dinner, Shooter in Custody
U.S. President Donald Trump is escorted out as a shooter opens fire during the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 25, 2026, in this screen capture from video. REUTERS/Bo Erickson
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were rushed out of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner by Secret Service agents on Saturday night after a man armed with a shotgun tried to breach security, officials said.
A man armed with a shotgun fired at a Secret Service agent, an FBI official told Reuters. The agent was hit in an area covered by protective gear and not harmed, the official said.
All federal officials, including Trump, were safe. About an hour after Trump was rushed from the event, he posted on Truth Social that a “shooter had been apprehended.”
“Quite an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job,” Trump added.
Shortly afterwards, he posted, “The First Lady, plus the Vice President, and all Cabinet members, are in perfect condition.” He said he would be holding a White House press conference on Saturday night.
Anthony Guglielmi, a Secret Service spokesman, said the service was investigating a shooting near the main screening area at the entrance to the event.
After the sound of shots, dinner attendees immediately stopped talking and people started screaming “Get down, get down!”
Hundreds of guests dove under the tables as Secret Service officers in combat gear ran into the dining room. Trump and the first lady had bent down behind the dais before being hustled out by Secret Service officers.
Many of the 2,600 attendees took cover while waiters fled to the front of the dining hall.
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Trump Cancels Envoys’ Pakistan Trip, in Blow to Hopes for Iran War Breakthrough
US President Donald Trump speaks on the day he honors reigning Major League Soccer (MLS) champion Inter Miami CF players and team officials with an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, March 5, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
President Donald Trump canceled a trip by two US envoys to Iran war mediator Pakistan on Saturday, dealing a new setback to peace prospects after Iran’s foreign minister departed Islamabad after speaking only to Pakistani officials.
While peace talks failed to materialize Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his troops to “forcefully” attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, his office said, further testing a three-week ceasefire.
Trump told reporters in Florida that he decided to call off the planned visit by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner because the talks in Islamabad involved too much travel and expense, and Iran’s latest peace offer was not good enough for him.
Before boarding Air Force One on Saturday for a return flight to Washington, Trump said Iran had improved an offer to resolve the conflict after he canceled the visit, “but not enough.”
In a social media post, Trump also wrote there was “tremendous infighting and confusion” within Iran’s leadership.
“Nobody knows who is in charge, including them. Also, we have all the cards, they have none! If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!” he posted on Truth Social.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi earlier left the Pakistani capital without any sign of a breakthrough in talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials.
Araqchi later described his visit to Pakistan as “very fruitful,” adding in a social media post that he had “shared Iran’s position concerning (a) workable framework to permanently end the war on Iran. Have yet to see if the U.S. is truly serious about diplomacy”.
Iranian media reported that Araqchi had flown to Oman’s capital Muscat, saying he will meet with senior officials to “discuss and exchange views on bilateral relations and regional developments”.
Sharif wrote in a post on X that he spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian about the regional security situation and told him that Pakistan was committed to serving “as an honest and sincere facilitator — working tirelessly to advance durable peace and lasting stability.”
Tehran has ruled out a new round of direct talks with the United States and an Iranian diplomatic source said his country would not accept Washington’s “maximalist demands.”
IRAN AND US AT AN IMPASSE
Washington and Tehran are at an impasse as Iran has largely closed the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, while the US blocks Iran’s oil exports.
The conflict, in which a ceasefire is in force, began with US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran on February 28. Iran has since carried out strikes against Israel, US bases and Gulf states, and the war has pushed up energy prices to multi-year highs, stoking inflation and darkening global growth prospects.
Araqchi “explained our country’s principled positions regarding the latest developments related to the ceasefire and the complete end of the imposed war against Iran,” said a statement on the minister’s official Telegram account.
Asked about Tehran’s reservations over US positions in the talks, an Iranian diplomatic source in Islamabad told Reuters: “Principally, Iranian side will not accept maximalist demands.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had said the US had seen some progress from the Iranian side in recent days and hoped more would come over the weekend, while Vice President JD Vance was ready to travel to Pakistan as well.
Vance led a first round of unsuccessful talks with Iran in Islamabad earlier this month.
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Hezbollah Says Ceasefire ‘Meaningless’ as Fighting Continues in South
Israeli military vehicles and soldiers in a village in southern Lebanon as the Israeli army operates in it as seen from the Israeli side of the border, April 23, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Ayal Margolin
Lebanon’s Hezbollah said a US-mediated ceasefire in the war with Israel was meaningless a day after it was extended for three weeks, as Lebanese authorities reported two people killed by an Israeli strike and Hezbollah downed an Israeli drone.
US President Donald Trump announced the three-week extension on Thursday after hosting Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors at the White House. The ceasefire agreement between the governments of Lebanon and Israel had been due to expire on Sunday.
While the ceasefire has led to a significant reduction in hostilities, Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have continued to trade blows in southern Lebanon, where Israel has kept soldiers in a self-declared “buffer zone.”
Responding to the extension, Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Fayyad said “it is essential to point out that the ceasefire is meaningless in light of Israel’s insistence on hostile acts, including assassinations, shelling, and gunfire” and its demolition of villages and towns in the south.
“Every Israeli attack… gives the resistance the right to a proportionate response,” he added.
Hezbollah is not a party to the ceasefire agreement, and has strongly objected to Lebanon’s face-to-face contacts with Israel.
BUFFER ZONE
The April 16 agreement does not require Israeli troops to withdraw from the belt of southern Lebanon seized during the war. The zone extends 5 to 10 km (3 to 6 miles) into Lebanon.
Israel says the buffer zone aims to protect northern Israel from attacks by Hezbollah, which fired hundreds of rockets at Israel during the war.
Hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel reignited on March 2, when the group opened fire in support of Iran in the regional war. The ceasefire in Lebanon emerged separately from Washington’s efforts to resolve its conflict with Tehran, though Iran had called for Lebanon to be included in any broader truce.
Nearly 2,500 people have been killed in Lebanon since March 2, the Lebanese health ministry says.
ISRAELI MILITARY WARNS RESIDENTS TO LEAVE TOWN
Lebanon’s health ministry said an Israeli airstrike killed two people in the southern village of Touline on Friday.
Hezbollah shot down an Israeli drone, the group and the Israeli military said. Hezbollah identified it as a Hermes 450 and said it had downed it with a surface-to-air missile.
An Israeli drone was heard circling above Beirut throughout the day on Friday, Reuters reporters said.
The Israeli military warned residents of the southern town of Deir Aames to leave their homes immediately, saying it planned to act against “Hezbollah activities” there.
Deir Aames is located north of the area occupied by Israeli forces, and it was the first time Israel had issued such a warning since the ceasefire came into force on April 16. Posted on social media, the Israeli warning gave no details of the activities it said Hezbollah was conducting in the town.
The Israeli military also said it had intercepted a drone prior to its crossing into Israeli territory, and that sirens were sounded in line with protocol.
WAR-WEARY RESIDENTS SEEK END TO FIGHTING
The continued fighting has angered war-weary Lebanese, who say they want to see a genuine ceasefire put a full halt to violence.
“What’s this? Is this called a ceasefire? Or is this mocking (people’s) intelligence?” said Naem Saleh, a 73-year-old owner of a newsstand in Beirut.
Residents of northern Israel had mostly returned to daily life, but expressed pessimism about the longevity of the ceasefire with Lebanon.
“I believe that the ceasefire is so fragile, and unfortunately it won’t stand long, in my opinion,” said Eliad Eini, a resident of Nahariya, which lies just 10 km (6 miles) from the border with Lebanon.
On Wednesday, Israeli strikes killed at least five people in the south, including a journalist.
Israel’s Ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter, in his opening remarks at Thursday’s talks, said “Lebanon should acknowledge the temporary presence of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) and the right of Israel to defend itself from a hostile force that is firing on the population.”
Lebanon’s Ambassador to the United States Nada Moawad, in a written statement sent to Reuters, called for the ceasefire to be fully respected and said it would allow the necessary conditions for meaningful negotiations.
Lebanon has said it aims to secure the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from its territory in broader talks with Israel at a later stage.
Trump said on Thursday that he looked forward to hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in the near future, and said there was “a great chance” the two countries would reach a peace agreement this year.
Hezbollah attacks killed two civilians in Israel after March 2, while 15 Israeli soldiers have died in Lebanon since then, Israel says.