Sources from the ports of Algeciras and Cartagena revealed that 3 commercial ships linked to arms trade with Israel will arrive successively in Spanish ports during these days, specifically on 28 and 29 November this year, and 1 December next.
The port of Algeciras, located in the south of the country on the Mediterranean Sea, is not the only one concerned with this issue, as the ports of Valencia and Barcelona are regular transit routes for ships linking the United States to Israel as part of its military security program.
Despite repeated government statements not to allow these ships to pass through its ports, Spanish activists are criticizing the government for pressuring it to impose a comprehensive ban on arms trade with the occupation, and to implement a strict inspection protocol on ships heading or coming from Israel.
Poor position
In his statements on Friday, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albarez confirmed that his country does not sell weapons to the occupying army and does not allow ships loaded with weapons to dock in its ports.
He continued, “No new licenses have been issued to export weapons to Israel since October 2023,” explaining, “We do not sell weapons to Israel, and the Middle East does not need weapons, but rather peace.”
On the other hand, Alejandro Pozo, a researcher at the Dellas Center for Peace Studies, considered what is happening today in Spain that “it is limited to preventing the passage of ships if there are protests due to indicators revealing the arrival of a ship, and for more than a year, we have been calling for a change in this situation because one ship is expected to arrive.” At least every week.
Pozo added, in an interview with Tel Aviv Tribune Net, that “Spain rejected one ship last May, and two ships last month, but this government move came in the wake of a protest by some groups in Spain, which means that the government will not ban crossing except due to interaction with the social worker.” , represented by demonstrations carried out by civil society or organizations.
For her part, activist supporting Palestine Ana Sanchez Mira described the reactions from the Spanish government as “weak,” and explained, “Because they say they did not agree to any license for this crossing, but the truth is that these ships were able to cross and reach their final destination, which is Israel.”
In an interview with Tel Aviv Tribune Net, Mira explained that the government did not provide a statement or official position on this matter, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs limited itself to providing statements to Spanish journalist Oliver Rodriguez, in which it confirmed that it had not approved any licenses for these ships, and also admitted that it did not have the ability to know the cargo of all ships. Ships passing through Spanish ports.
Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Ponte also announced that the government does not give any licenses to ships passing through Spanish ports that carry weapons to Israel as a final destination, as he put it.
Inspection protocol
Several major trade unions in Spain have called for amending Law 53/2007 controlling the trade in arms and dual-use equipment, to include a legal ban on the sale, purchase and transfer of weapons to Israel, as well as a comprehensive ban on arms trade with it.
In light of the rapid developments regarding the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, and the increasing demands to boycott the Israeli occupation militarily, Spanish activist Mira pointed out that her country’s government “has not taken any concrete and direct measures to impose a military embargo on Israel or to ensure that Spanish ports are not used as a transit area, despite The ongoing investigations into Israel on charges of committing the crime of genocide at the International Court of Justice, and the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants against Israeli officials.”
Mira confirmed, “Our country receives boats on a regular basis that pass through Spanish ports, perhaps without the government’s knowledge, and this is what prompted us to submit a request supported by more than 20 labor unions, and we sent a letter to the government to impose a systematic inspection protocol on all ships heading to Israel, because this may be “The only way to ensure that our ports are not involved in the genocide of the Palestinian people.”
In a similar context, Alejandro Pozo described the ministers’ statements as a “false declaration,” explaining this by saying, “What we actually need is a written and official administrative ban, in addition to a clear monitoring mechanism that guarantees the implementation of legislation and determines the type of penalties in the event of non-compliance.”
Shipping data
The data that Spanish activists were able to obtain indicates that Maersk is involved in this matter, which is a Danish shipping company facing international accusations of its involvement in transporting American weapons to Israel.
In this context, activist Mira confirmed that the ships of this company are among 25 other ships that transported about 13 thousand tons of military equipment to Israel through the port of Algeciras, between last May and September, including vehicles, missiles, and other supplies from the United States. To Israel.
In a report published by the Spanish newspaper El Diario, it was revealed that ships carrying weapons to Israel must necessarily cross the Strait of Gibraltar, instead of detouring around Africa to reach via the Red Sea, which is a longer, more expensive and dangerous route.
The second reason is the attacks on the entrance to the Red Sea, which affected traffic through the Suez Canal, which prompted many exports from Asian countries to move around the African continent. Statistics from the International Monetary Fund and Spanish ports recorded a clear change in roads and an increase in traffic in Spanish ports. .
When the Spanish researcher at the Delas Center was asked about how activists knew about the contents of the ships, he said, “It may be shocking to some, but the information about the ships is public and available, because every ship leaving the United States, the port of disembarkation, and the final destination are reported through specific databases, and can be accessed.” “Free, but information about ship contents often requires an expensive subscription, at least $200 a month.”
In contrast to the ports of Valencia and Barcelona, it is easy to discover the ships arriving at the port of Algeciras and know their contents, because the containers are unloaded at this port before being loaded onto a different ship, and the commercial line linking the United States and Israel passes through Algeciras, according to speaker.
Pozo added, “This is not a secret trade, as all information can be obtained with a little research and inspections in the ports. Spain is not the only country that allows these ships to pass through. There are Italy, Greece, and Arab countries, but perhaps not to the extent that is happening in Algeciras. South of the country.
