SOMERSET Council have voted to “explore all ways of legally evicting” a firm that activists say could be providing weapons to the Israeli Defence Forces.

The motion went to the full council yesterday (Tuesday, April 23) and a spokesperson said: “Having been duly proposed and seconded, the council resolved to:

"Note, that in the light of calls for an end of UK Arms sales to Israel, Somerset Council had been reviewing its interest in the Aztec West property in its commercial portfolio with a view to immediately dispose of the property or securing a means to legally evict the tenant Elbit UK, a major UK based provider of weapons to the Israeli Defence Forces, used in the current Gaza catastrophe.

"Explore all ways of legally evicting Elbit UK or otherwise, to dispose of the property; Ensure that moral and ethical considerations are fully appraised in addition to financial advantage in any future commercial property investments for yield."

Councillor Brian Smedley (Labour councillor of Bridgwater South) proposed the recommendations which were seconded by Councillor Shane Collins (Green Party, Frome East).

An Elbit Systems UK spokesperson is denying the activists' claims.

The spokesperson added: "We continue to invest and expand our range of services in the United Kingdom, providing critical support and advanced technology to the British armed forces from Aztec West 600 and other sites across the country."

Members of Palestine Action covered the council’s County Hall building in Taunton town centre in red paint and graffiti three times.

The group was demanding the immediate eviction of the Israeli weapons firm Elbit Systems from the council's property Aztec West 600 in Bristol.

The offices at Aztec West 600 – near junction 16 of the M5 – were purchased by Sedgemoor District Council in 2020.

Somerset Council inherited the investment when it assumed power in April 2023.

The leasehold of the property lists both Elbit Systems UK and Elbit Systems Ltd (based in Haifa, Israel) as named parties.