Wallonia blocked Swiss military shipment to Israel at Liège Airport
A shipment of equipment from Switzerland to Israel was intercepted at Liège Airport last month, as it was military in nature. This was first reported by the French-language magazine Le Vif on Wednesday, and later confirmed by the cabinet of Walloon prime minister Adrien Dolimont
On 9 October, the Dolimont cabinet was alerted to an article on the Swiss news site Heidi.news, which reported that four crates of potentially sensitive equipment from Swiss company Swissto12 had left Zurich Airport for Liège on 7 October.
The cargo, which contained antennas and radio frequency components destined for Israeli defence company Elbit Systems, was meant to stay in transit until 13 October. But before it could continue, it was stopped by customs and the Walloon administration.
According to the formal report submitted at the end of October, "a series of elements" indicated that the cargo "should indeed be characterised as military equipment." The report concludes that an export licence would have been required in Switzerland, and consequently a transit licence in Wallonia. Neither licence was obtained, and the shipment was therefore halted.
Dolimont stressed that the region "does not grant any arms export licences that would strengthen the military capacity of the armed forces and remains extremely vigilant when granting licences for shipments destined for Israel and the occupied territories."
Customs have been instructed to keep the Swissto12 cargo blocked and to closely monitor similar shipments transiting through Wallonia on their way to Israel.
PHOTO © JOHN THYS / AFP
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