French Cargo Workers Block “Elbit” Systems Shipment Bound for “Israel”

By Staff, Agencies

Employees of a French cargo company refused to load a security shipment from “Israeli” security firm “Elbit” Systems onto an “El Al” aircraft scheduled to depart Paris for "Israel" on Saturday evening, Ynet reported on Friday.

“Israeli” security officials have intervened to address the situation, according to the report.

The Paris-based company was identified as Cargo, whose workers' committee organized the boycott of the loading operation.

The incident follows other restrictions affecting “Israeli” security companies at arms exhibitions in France since the beginning of the “Israeli” genocide in Gaza on October 7, 2023.

A source at activist group Urgence Palestine told The New Arab on Friday that the shipment had not left France. The source said Air France had cancelled its transport contract, despite the airline publicly denying that the cargo had been booked onto its flights.

The organization said it possessed evidence of the original booking, as well as details of the new flight and air waybill.

According to a statement issued by unions on Thursday, French manufacturer Mijno, based in Saint-Étienne, and freight company DSV had arranged for the shipment to travel on El Al flight LY220, scheduled to depart Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport on Saturday, October 10.

The unions, which include branches of the General Confederation of Labour [CGT] and SUD Aérien, called on French authorities and airport management to stop the shipment from leaving the country. They said France's obligations under international law applied regardless of the airline transporting the goods.

The cargo reportedly contains mechanical components used in systems fitted to military vehicles and is intended for “Elbit”

 Systems Land, a division of “Israeli” military manufacturer “Elbit” Systems.

The unions credited freight handlers, loading crews, and airport workers with preventing the shipment from departing on Air France flight AF966 to “Tel Aviv”, which was scheduled to leave at 9:35 am on Thursday. The mobilization followed alerts from Urgence Palestine and the Palestinian Youth Movement.

Air France denied on Thursday that the cargo had been booked onto its flights, stating that it did not transport weapons or ammunition to "Israel".

The “Stop Arming Israel” campaign challenged the airline's account, claiming that details of the shipment had been removed from its booking system on Wednesday evening.

Two associations, NIDAL and Action Sécurité Éthique Républicaines [ASER], have also taken legal steps to scrutinize the shipment.

Through their lawyers, the organizations asked the French prime minister's office to establish whether an export license had been issued, identify the intended end user, and examine the guarantees governing the components' use.

They also asked customs authorities at Charles de Gaulle Airport and in Lyon, where the cargo was reportedly due to pass, to locate and inspect the shipment. The groups called for any export authorization to be suspended if necessary.

The associations argued that exporting components intended for military vehicles to "Israel" could violate France's obligations under the Arms Trade Treaty and the Genocide Convention. They also raised concerns about possible French government complicity in crimes committed by Israeli forces in Gaza.

France's Foreign Ministry defended the country's export policy on Thursday. Spokesman Pascal Confavreux said military components could be exported to "Israel" only when intended exclusively for defensive purposes or for incorporation into equipment that would subsequently be re-exported to third countries.

Confavreux claimed that France complied fully with its international commitments and that military exports were subject to strict parliamentary oversight and guarantees concerning their use. He did not explain how authorities verified the final use of components after their delivery to Israeli companies.