Over the summer, the Israeli company SK Group announced its full acquisition of ELVO, Greece’s most important manufacturer of military and civilian vehicles.

The SK Group, which already held a stake in ELVO, claimed that full ownership “seals its long-term commitment to Greece”, promising to strengthen local industry, innovation, and exports. Vice President Ronen Hamudot said: “We see enormous potential in ELVO’s infrastructure and heritage. Our goal is to elevate the company to a leading global manufacturing and export hub.”

MeRA25: “Business and complicity in genocide”

The MeRA25 party issued a strong statement, condemning the sale:

“At a time when the genocide committed by the Israeli army against the Palestinians in Gaza is escalating, the Mitsotakis government continues its unholy business with the murderous state.

“The government has handed over ELVO entirely to SK Group, a weapons systems company and supplier to the Israeli army. Now, with 100% ownership of the Hellenic Vehicle Industry, the Israeli company will be able to equip the Israeli army as it wishes from production in Greece, through what was once a public industry. At the same time, the Greek government has abandoned all oversight of a defence industry on Greek soil, as the public no longer has any stake or control. This drags our country deeper into genocide.

“Business and complicity in genocide, handing over the defence industry to the control of a criminal state: these are the works and days of an alienated, immoral, and submissive government.

“As MeRA25, we condemn the Mitsotakis government as complicit in the genocide of the Palestinians. The Greek people demand an immediate end to the genocide, not business with its perpetrators, Mr Mitsotakis. You will have us constantly against you.”

New Left: “Another act of complicity by the Mitsotakis regime”

The New Left party also condemned the sale, stating:

“The complete takeover of ELVO by the Israeli SK Group is not an ‘investment’ but another episode in the sell-off of critical public infrastructure and strategic industries. The loss of the most important Greek defence industry to foreign hands undermines the country’s national security and technological self-sufficiency.

“This is not a simple sell-off but another act of complicity by the Mitsotakis regime with the genocide in Palestine. In the midst of massacre, the government continues to do business with the far-right Netanyahu government, tying the country to the Israeli chariot. This is a nationally detrimental choice that surrenders critical sectors on terms of servitude.

“The New Left denounces this policy and commits to fighting for public control of strategic sectors, guided by social needs, national sovereignty, and peace.”

Thrace counter-information group: “ELVO is turning into a subsidiary arm of a war profiteering group”

The Thrace Counter-Information Collective (@antireport_thrakis) stressed:

“ELVO in the hands of SK Group: an acquisition that binds Greece to genocide. This is not just a ‘business’ event. It directly concerns the direction of Greek industry and the country’s position in relation to one of the most prolonged and violent colonial wars: the occupation of Palestine.

The SK Group is one of the pillars of Israel’s military industry. Its subsidiaries include:

  • Israel Weapon Industries (IWI): produces TAVOR rifles, NEGEV machine guns, and other weapons used by the Israeli army in Gaza and the West Bank.

  • Meprolight: specialises in sights, electro-optics, and laser systems.

  • Camero-Tech: develops ‘see-through-the-wall’ technology used in operations in Palestinian cities.

  • Israel Shipyards: builds patrol boats and speedboats for the Israeli navy, which enforces the blockade of Gaza.

These companies have been identified by groups such as Who Profits and Investigate AFSC as key suppliers to Israel’s occupation machine.

With the acquisition of ELVO, Greece deepens its military-industrial cooperation with Israel. A historic Greek company, instead of producing civilian vehicles or shifting to green technologies, is now tied to the production of military systems with direct application in the oppression of the Palestinian people.

ELVO could have been transformed into a lever for industrial peace and social benefit – producing buses, fire engines, or vehicles for civil protection. Instead, it is being turned into a subsidiary arm of a group that profits from war and occupation.”

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