More than 100 anti-Israel activists stormed a weapons facility in Belgium on Monday in an attempt to halt what they believed was military support for Israel—but instead ended up sabotaging a crucial supply line for Ukraine.
The radical group “Stop Arming Israel” raided the OIP Land Systems hangar in Tournai, smashing armored vehicles with hammers, breaking windows, and spray-painting equipment with graffiti. The group claimed the company was “complicit in Israel’s genocide and colonial project.” In reality, the facility was preparing $1.1 million worth of armored vehicles for delivery to Ukraine, not Israel.
“We don’t sell anything to Israel,” said Freddy Versluys, president of OIP Land Systems. “The vandals entered the hangar and damaged extensive equipment.” He added that the only effect of the raid was a one-month delay in delivering the vehicles to Ukrainian forces.
OIP is a subsidiary of Elbit Systems, an Israel-based defense contractor. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, the company’s Tournai facility has served as a major hub for shipping Western-supplied armored vehicles to Kyiv. The warehouse holds one of Europe’s largest private stockpiles of defense equipment.
The disruption comes at a sensitive time for Ukraine, as delays in Western military assistance continue to strain its defenses. The unintended consequence of the protest has provided an indirect boost to Russian forces by stalling critical battlefield equipment.
Though the group’s stated goal was to halt support for Israel, its misinformed action may have harmed a European ally fighting on the frontlines of a major global conflict.
