"Protests erupt in Morocco over Maersk 'F-35 cargo to Israel' docking in Casablanca, Tangier", 19 April 2025

Moroccan authorities... blocked dozens of pro-Palestine activists from reaching the port of Casablanca, where a Maersk ship suspected of transporting F-35 fighter jet components to Israel was believed to be docked...

Several dockworkers at the port had already heeded a rare call by Morocco's two largest labour unions, the UMT and the CDT, to boycott the ship, potentially disrupting its operations.

"We expected this blockade. In recent days, it has become almost impossible to protest in cities like Agadir and Meknes. Authorities are deploying every tool at their disposal to silence us," Sion Asidon, a veteran activist and founder of the Moroccan branch of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, told The New Arab...

The components, reportedly initially loaded aboard the US-flagged Maersk Detroit in Houston, are believed to be en route to Nevatim Air Base in southern Israel, a critical site for the Israeli Air Force’s campaign over Gaza.

According to the investigative reports and pro-Palestine groups, the Detroit is scheduled to dock in Tangier on 20 April, where it would offload its cargo onto the Nexoe for onward shipment to Haifa. Neither Maersk nor Moroccan authorities have confirmed the contents of the cargo.

A source at Tangier Med Port told Hespress, a media outlet close to the government, that they were "not aware of the contents of containers being shipped through global ports or those arriving as part of temporary stops".

Activists with BDS Morocco, MaskOff Maersk, and the Palestinian Youth Movement believe the ship is carrying a bulk shipment of "surface analysers", devices used for spot repairs on damaged F-35s — equipment deemed critical to maintaining the jets currently deployed by Israel to bomb Gaza.

"Roughly every ten days, one of these F-35s breaks down and needs repairs to return to service," explained Asidon.

"A sea shipment in a full container implies a large volume of this essential equipment, a delivery that could significantly bolster Israel's ongoing assault."

Maersk, when contacted earlier this month by local media, confirmed it was transporting F-35 components but claimed the shipment was not intended for Israel, rather for other participants in the joint fighter jet programme.

The company did not respond to a clarification request from The New Arab by the time of publication.

Previously, Maersk denied transporting arms or ammunition to Israel, though it acknowledged handling US government cargo and confirmed that its policy does not prohibit the transport of military-related goods.

At Friday's protest, demonstrators held placards urging Moroccan authorities to respect "the will of the people" and block the ship, warning against complicity in a genocide that has claimed the lives of over 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza...

On Sunday, 20 April, the protest will move north to Tangier, where activists are planning another march to the port. The Maersk Detroit is expected to dock that day, and demonstrators hope to prevent what they believe to be a critical shipment from advancing towards Israel.