The Spanish government has announced it will block two ships—Denver and Seletar—operated by shipping giant Maersk and carrying military cargo bound for Israel, from docking at the port of Algeciras. This decision comes just days after the Mask off Maersk campaign released a report exposing the company’s regular use of the Spanish port for transferring cargo that enables the ongoing genocide against Palestinians, despite Spain’s stated arms embargo.

Researchers from the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) and Progressive International (PI), who contributed to the report, told Peoples Dispatch that it is unclear whether Pedro Sánchez’s administration was genuinely unaware of the shipments or deliberately chose to look the other way. What is clear, however, is that since Sánchez announced the embargo in May, Maersk has succeeded in delivering thousands of tons of military cargo to Israel. It appears that Maersk typically sends one ship per week from New Jersey to Spain, carrying around 1,000 tons of military cargo destined for the Israeli military, the report states.

These shipments end up being used in Gaza, facilitating the killing, torture, and kidnapping of Palestinians. In recent months, Maersk has transported aircraft parts, armored vehicles, and projectile bodies—much of which has been essentially subsidized by US tax dollars. The shipments also included nearly 300 tons of goods labeled as “diplomatic cargo,” a classification that, according to PYM and PI researchers, is undoubtedly being used to obscure the true nature of the containers. This is one of several strategies used to evade oversight over shipments bound for Israel; others include submitting blank designations and relying on freight forwarders to mask the trace of what is being transported.

These entities, including Interglobal Forwarding Services (IFS) used by Israel, can get very creative in how they describe cargo. The Mask off Maersk report documents such practices and makes it clear that shipments bound for Israel should undergo regular oversight and inspection in order to stop ammunition and other military cargo being transported there. Between 2011 and 2014, for example, IFS managed to transport over 16,000 tons of “diplomatic” cargo on Maersk ships, according to the report. This designation appears to establish a stable supply chain of goods whose true nature remains concealed from customs authorities and the public, PYM and PI warn.

Maersk is fully aware of these operations, as well as of the nature of the cargo its ships transport, and could halt them immediately if it chose to, the report’s authors told Peoples Dispatch. However, it continues to enable this flow of deadly cargo, fueling the genocide. As a result, responsibility to block these shipments now lies with the governments of the countries whose ports are used in the transfers. Researchers noted that Morocco, Egypt, Italy, and Turkey must all be held to the same scrutiny as Spanish authorities. For instance, after being denied access to Spanish ports, the Maersk Denver sought permission to dock in Tangier, Morocco, sparking a BDS call urging local activists to mobilize and prevent this. Reports that Mediterranean ports might allow these ships to dock are deeply troubling and, moreover, stand in violation of several UN resolutions and recommendations.

The researchers emphasize that pressure must continue on the Sánchez administration until it commits to inspect every Maersk vessel originating from the US and carrying cargo to Israel, given the practices highlighted in the report. “These vessels must be blocked from docking—nothing more and nothing less,” stated PYM and PI activists.

Without grassroots pressure, governments are likely to ignore public opposition and continue allowing military cargo to flow to Israel through their logistical hubs. What’s needed now, according to the researchers, is a stronger mobilization of trade unions and workers’ actions against these shipments. For example, in October, dockworkers at Athens’ Piraeus port successfully blocked a shipment of ammunition destined for Israel.

Though such direct action triggers government repression, PYM and PI researchers argue that it remains one of the few effective ways to disrupt and halt Israel’s arms supply chain. The two Maersk ships Spain decided to block are not the only ones expected to bring more weapons to Israel—but the full list can be stopped through strong workplace mobilizations. Advocacy alone will not be enough to get the governments to act against the genocide in Palestine; only a people-led strategy, with trade unions playing a central role, can accomplish this goal.

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  • eldavi@lemmy.ml
    ·
    5 days ago

    i had a negative opinion of the spanish government because of brutally they cracked down on catalonian independence; but their actions in isreal has changed my mind and i wish that they had a bigger role to play in the international stage to affect change.

    • geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml
      ·
      4 days ago

      Israel screamed through the minute of silence for Spanish victims of floods in Valencia because of the weapons embargo. Israelis clearly do not like Spain. Which makes me like Spain.

      This post makes it even better.

          • eldavi@lemmy.ml
            ·
            edit-2
            3 days ago

            with the trump going after arizona to get kari lake into power; agitators enshitifying hexbear; and isreali removed triggering violence, it's clear we're heading into a new era of right wing agitation and i hope that the accelerationism leads to something like ubi once the dust settles since we got social security and unemployment the last time things were this bad.

    • imogen_underscore [it/its, she/her]
      ·
      4 days ago

      they are one of the few western euro countries actually doing some work to keep their options open wrt working with China too

      • eldavi@lemmy.ml
        ·
        4 days ago

        they've been ostracized in living memory by the west for franco and the eu puts them at the kid's table because their socialist heavy political zeitgeist and all despite having their own well-known world-encompassing empirical hegemony of their own.

        like the russians, seeing their influence descend to almost irrelevancy despite a history of the former serves a cultural unifier that the spanish desperately need right now; so if anyone in the west would be amenable to a change, it would be them and i'm certain that my government is aware and taking actions to mitigate it.

    • AItoothbrush@lemmy.zip
      ·
      3 days ago

      I am a huge spain cuck for reasons i will be automatically biased but i heard its because 1. historically catalonia is basically insignifacant 2. a lot of catalonian rich people want to pay less taxes so they want to be independent and then influence politians with money. I also heard from some of my catalonian friends that they wouldnt care but they wanna stay in the eu so thats why they support staying a part of spain. Of course as i said i am baised and this is what ive heard from biased people and i still dont support what they did its just an explanation NOT AN EXCUSE. Also spain gets a lot of hate for stuff that other countries also do but i think thats a good thing because it creates a higher standard.

      • eldavi@lemmy.ml
        ·
        3 days ago

        catalonia is the richest economic region in spain and my comment from earlier can help shed some further light for you: https://lemmy.ml/post/22333765/14861402

    • testingtesting123@discuss.tchncs.de
      ·
      edit-2
      4 days ago

      You realize in 2017 it was a different government right? Right now is a left coalition supported by nationalist parties, including the ones (ERC and a bit by Junts) that declare independence in 2017.

      Actually regarding Israel support, Junts (right catalan nationalist) supports Israel historically, while PSOE and specially IU (left spanish) has supported more Palestine and the two states solution.

      • eldavi@lemmy.ml
        ·
        4 days ago

        I'm aware and both the previous and current coalitions still pursue the leader of the Catalan movement despite the heavy political costs it incures from its eu neighbors and the catalonians; indicating that they have the same priorities as it applies to their independence.

        • testingtesting123@discuss.tchncs.de
          ·
          3 days ago

          The coalition from last two terms is basically the same (left + far left). For example Junqueras (ERC) was pardonned by the current government and Puidgemont (Junts) was part of the global pardon during the second term. Judges are not controlled by the government, that's why there is still some aftermath, but it should be applied within the global pardon.

          Also, the reality is that the global pursue of independence have fallen below majority (polls done by previous ERC government) and with a current Catalan president from socialists (part of spanish left) after the elections ...