NGOs summon Flemish government to stop container bound for Israel
Four NGOs have initiated summary proceedings against the Flemish government to prevent a container containing tapered roller bearings from being shipped to Israel. "The military end use of these components is clear, so the container must be stopped," they said on Monday.
According to the NGOs, the container in the port of Antwerp contains parts that are used for tanks or armoured vehicles used by the Israeli army in Gaza. Vredesactie, INTAL, 11.11.11 and the League for Human Rights are demanding that the container does not leave the port. The summary proceedings will be heard on Thursday, 10 July.
"An end to all forms of arms transit and export is the absolute minimum"
Around a month ago, Vredesactie requested an inspection of a container bound for Israel that was found to contain three pallets of tapered roller bearings, transported by the shipping company MSC. The NGOs claim that the container is destined for the Israeli defence company Ashot and that the bearings are used in the production of Merkava tanks and Namer armoured vehicles, which the Israeli army deploys daily in Gaza.
Ongoing genocide
The Strategic Goods Control Service was responsible for checking the shipment, but the NGOs claim that this process took far too long. They therefore issued a warning to the Flemish government for lack of transparency and communication. The cabinet of minister-president Diependaele said that the container would remain in storage while the investigation was ongoing. However, the NGOs did not consider this to be a sufficient response.
“The military end use of these components is clear, so the container must be stopped,” the four organisations emphasised in a press release on Monday. “Diependaele's response clearly shows that the competent authorities are deliberately not applying the legislation properly, or not applying it at all, and are not carrying out checks."
"This is despite genocide having been ongoing in Gaza for 20 months. As parties to the Genocide Convention, states have a legal obligation to do everything in their power to prevent genocide. An end to all forms of arms transit and export is the absolute minimum," they said.
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM
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