The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has announced a nationwide campaign calling for a broad arms embargo on Israel. Through their latest move, the party has expanded its advocacy beyond weapons shipments to target companies involved in transporting and producing military equipment.
The campaign, which is set to launch on October 29, comes as the Israel-Hamas war and violence in the occupied West Bank remain major issues for progressive activists ahead of the 2026 US midterm elections.
The DSA has long supported the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which encourages economic pressure on Israel via various means over its policies toward Palestinians.
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“A total Embargo”
In a post on X, the DSA said, “As the genocide in Palestine continues and violence intensifies across the West Bank, the call for an arms embargo has never been more critical.”
The group described the initiative as a “total embargo” that extends beyond weapons transfers. It said the campaign would focus on companies involved in manufacturing and transporting military equipment used by Israel.
“DSA is proposing a total embargo that extends beyond just arms shipments. Join us on 10/29 for our launch,” the post read.
The party said that its latest campaign seeks to “illuminate and eliminate the complicity of the companies that produce and transport the instruments of genocide.”
According to the DSA, the movement will prioritize strategic pressure points rather than attempting to challenge the entire US-Israel military relationship at once. “We must attack at strategic points to chip away bit by bit as our movement and our power continues to grow,” the group said.
DSA targets defense supply chain
The campaign identified United Airlines as one of its initial targets. The DSA alleged the airline transported military cargo to Israel on civilian flights between June 2025 and March 2026, including shipments linked to Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems.
The organization claims nearly 3,000 military cargo shipments were transported during that period. It did not publicly release supporting documentation alongside the announcement. Hindustan Times has not independently verified the claim.
United Airlines has not publicly responded to the allegations made in the campaign announcement.
The DSA also highlighted Elbit Systems of America, which it says now operates as Twenty-Six Defense, LLC. The organization described Elbit Systems as Israel’s largest publicly traded defense company and a major supplier of military equipment to the Israeli armed forces.
“Elbit is the single largest publicly traded company in Israel and it supplies up to 85% of the Israeli military’s land and air weaponry,” the campaign page read.
The DSA’s campaign reflects growing activism among progressive groups seeking to influence US foreign policy through labour unions, community organisations and corporate pressure campaigns.
“We will sever the supply chain of death in solidarity with Palestine with an organized movement from below, by workers, unions and communities,” the group said in its announcement.
