Dockworkers in Marseille have refused to handle military equipment destined for Israel. Today, a shipment was rejected from a ship heading to Israel. "We stand for peace and against wars. We refuse to cooperate with the genocide carried out by the Israeli government," stated the CGT union in a declaration.
The shipment contained 19 pallets of metal parts used for automatic weapons, according to the CGT. These parts were allegedly manufactured by the French company Eurolinks and were to be shipped to Haifa, Israel, for delivery to Israel Military Industries, a major supplier to the Israeli military.
"We were informed on Wednesday morning about this shipment," said CGT representative Christophe Claret to AFP. "We identified the container with military parts and isolated it."
Investigative journalists from Disclose reported that two similar military shipments from Marseille to Haifa occurred earlier this year, in April and May. "There is a possibility this equipment could be used against civilians in Gaza," the site noted.
French President Macron has called for a ceasefire in Gaza and urged against supplying weapons to Israel that could be used in the war against Hamas. "You cannot call for a ceasefire while simultaneously delivering weapons of war," Macron stated.
In October 2023, France shipped military equipment to Israel, with Defense Minister Lecornu initially claiming it was for resale to another country. Later, he revised his statement, saying the equipment would be assembled in Israel and returned to France.
Dockworkers and Disclose fear the equipment may still end up with the Israeli military. "France lacks the means to verify whether the equipment is used by Israel," Disclose reported.
Neither the Port of Marseille nor Eurolinks commented on the refusal. Left-wing politicians praised the action, with the French Socialist Party stating, "Humanism is not for sale."
