Anti-Israeli Protest Action against Paramount

Anti-Israeli Protest Action against Paramount

We are very concerned about the true motivations behind the protest actions. Paramount has never supplied any arms to Israel. The allegations that the company is responsible or contributing to the conflict in Gaza is utterly malicious and defamatory.

Paramount has been operating legally for nearly 30 years in various jurisdictions and in strict adherence to South Africa's and the United Nations' arms control regulations. There hasn't been any contraventions of such conventions and the company has never been implicated in any wrong-doing, corruption or war crimes.

For several decades, the company has been a proud defence and aerospace technology partner of many Arab governments , including the UAE, Jordan and Oman.

It therefore raises the question why Paramount, a globally admired industry leader that employs thousands of South African's, has been targeted in this way?

The fact that Paramount's founder and leadership is of Jewish faith is the only explanation why the company has been targeted. These actions are therefore blatantly and disturbingly anti-Semitic. Such action is a direct contravention of South Africa's Constitution and needs to be condemned and rejected in the strongest possible terms. Paramount is cooperating with the authorities who are investigating the protest group's actions.

Additional background:

On the morning of the 10^th of November 2023, a group of anti-Israeli protesters gathered in front of Paramount's Midrand Campus claiming to be part of the 'Workers in Palestine International Call to Action to stop the arming of Israel'.

In an anonymous statement the group of protesters, of whom many were covering their faces, alleged that Paramount is involved in 'arming Israel and has been involved in war crimes and corruption'.

These allegations are false and malicious and motivated by anti-Semitism.

Paramount has never supplied military equipment to Israel. South Africa's arms control body, the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) controls the export of all defence equipment by defence companies in South Africa. Their publicly available records can confirm the facts. We urge the protest groups to verify the facts before making any further false claims.

For several decades, the company has been a proud defence and aerospace technology partner of many Arab governments , including the UAE, Jordan and Oman. This information is in the public domain but the protestors choose to ignore this as it would undermine their false narrative.

Paramount is headquartered in the United Arab Emirates. The are no links between Paramount's South African operations and the office in Israel that was established in compliance with the policy of the UAE government and as a direct result of the Abraham Accords. It is a technical liaison office with no sales function.

Paramount is a respected and legitimate global aerospace and technology company with operations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and North America. The company operates in strict adherence to both the South African National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) and United Nations (UN) widely-recognized global arms regulations.

Mr Ivor Ichikowitz, the founder of Paramount stepped down as Executive Chairman of the business nearly two years ago and is no longer involved in the daily operations of the company. He has never been accused of war crimes - this is an incredible defamatory and malicious allegation that's deliberately aimed at causing damage to his reputation. He has never been charged for any corruption or wrong doing in any of his businesses. Mr Ichikowitz has been recognised globally for his philanthropy and investments on the African continent.

Over the past 29 years, Paramount has generated billions of Rands in exports for South Africa and has been one of the largest investors (billions) in the country's defence and aerospace industry, at times when international defence companies were heavily and periodically disinvesting from the country and the African continent.

Paramount employs thousands of people across many businesses, in multiple state-of-the-art factories around the world, it manufactures aircraft, large ships, advanced armoured vehicles, service supersonic aircraft fleets - in short, it is a global leader in technology and innovation. Calling for the closure of such an industry leading and high tech company exposes the short-sightedness and levels of misinformation that exist among the protest groups.

At a time when South Africa is in desperate need for foreign investment and the creation of sustainable jobs, it is extremely irresponsible to call for the shut-down of a great South African and African success story that would result in thousands of people losing their livelihoods.