Berlin, Germany (Weltexpress). In protest against their governments’ complicity in the Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip, dockworkers in several European countries are blocking ships, such as those belonging to the Israeli state-owned company ZIM, which are supposed to pick up weapons in Europe.
Over the past week, a powerful protest against the Zionists’ devastating offensive in the Gaza Strip has spread across European ports. This movement is more than a labour strike; it is a moral uprising against a war machine that brings death and destruction to an innocent civilian population.
Dockworkers from Genoa to Marseille to Spain want to show Israel a stop sign and send a clear message to the rest of the world. However, the latter is failing due to the silence of the Western ‘quality media’, which resolutely ignores such inappropriate actions as those of the dockworkers in order not to alarm readers and viewers or – worse still – to make them think.
Spain leads with courageous embargo
Spain has taken a groundbreaking step onto the international stage: US military aircraft and ships have been banned from using the Rota and Moroni bases for arms transfers to Israel. This decision, rooted in a 1988 defence pact, is a thunderbolt against the logistics of war. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the Gaza conflict as ‘genocide’ and made it clear that no NATO country should become an accomplice to such a war. While Spain’s embargo is making headlines, the real rebellion is raging at the docks, where dockworkers are paralysing supply chains for Israel and attracting global attention.
Resistance in Genoa and Marseille
In Genoa on 27 September 2025, dockworkers from the USB union and the CALP collective refused to load the ZIM ship Zim Virginia, which was supposed to transport ten containers of ‘dangerous goods’ – presumably explosives – to Israel. Over 25,000 demonstrators marched through the streets chanting: ‘We won’t work for war!’ They demanded humanitarian corridors and an end to arms deliveries. Just days earlier, on 24 September, dockworkers in Marseille-Fos, led by the CGT union, had stopped the loading of the ship Contship Era after discovering 14 tonnes of machine gun components from Eurolinks that could have been used in the Gaza Strip. ‘The port of Marseille-Fos must not be misused to supply the Israeli army!’ declared CGT spokesman Christophe Claret. It was already the third blockade in Marseille this year, inspired by similar actions in Salerno and Scilla, where Italian workers had also prevented arms deliveries to Israel.
The movement is spreading
The flames of resistance are burning far beyond Italy and France. In Sweden, a new NATO member, the dockworkers’ union had already voted 68 per cent in favour of a boycott of all military trade with Israel in January 2025. Activist Erik Helgeson was subsequently dismissed on the pretext of ‘national security’ – a clear attack on trade union freedom. In Greece, Piraeus dockworkers blocked 21 tonnes of ammunition on a ZIM ship in October 2024 and stopped military steel on the Ever Golden in July 2025.
The militant PAME union declared: ‘Dockworkers will not be accomplices to the murderous state of Israel and its allies – the US, NATO and the EU.’ In Spain, Barcelona dockers vowed as early as 2023 not to load weapons bound for Israel, a pledge reinforced by Genoa’s actions. Belgian ports introduced partial bans, while in Ravenna, Italian workers stopped two trucks loaded with weapons in September 2025, triggering nationwide strikes.
Political support in NATO countries
The dockworkers’ movement is being strengthened by political shifts in NATO countries that are increasing pressure on Israel. Slovenia, a small NATO member, became the first EU country to impose a complete arms embargo in July 2025, banning all military imports, exports and transits. Prime Minister Robert Golob denounced the EU’s inaction, while President Nataša Pirc Musar described the Gaza conflict as ‘genocide’.
Belgium and the Netherlands introduced partial bans, Italy has halted deliveries since October 2023, and Germany announced in August 2025 that it would stop exports to the Gaza Strip, although this met with resistance within the CDU and has remained an announcement in Germany. The UK, which recognised Palestine in September 2025, promised not to supply F-35 parts directly to Israel, while Canada and France came under fire for hidden exports.
Tensions within NATO
The growing tension within NATO, where alliance commitments clash with humanitarian imperatives, is fuelling the determination of dockworkers who oppose the war logistics of the North Atlantic Terrorist Organisation (NATO). In Genoa on 26-27 September 2025, trade unions demanded that Mediterranean ports become ‘weapon-free zones’ and threatened comprehensive trade blockades if Gaza aid flotillas such as Global Sumud were obstructed.
Concrete impact and high price
The dockworkers’ actions are having a concrete impact: delays in Genoa and Marseille cost logistics companies millions and forced ZIM to divert to ports in Germany, for example, i.e. in countries where support for the Zionist genocide continues. In Italy, trade unions are invoking a 1990 law prohibiting arms exports to war zones and are planning a general strike called ‘Disarmiamoli’ for June 2026.
But resistance comes at a price: In Sweden, activist Helgeson was fired, and in Milan, violent clashes broke out on 22 September 2025 when thousands of workers denounced Italy’s complicity. Nevertheless, the movement remains unbroken, inspired by Palestinian trade unions that called for sabotage of Israel’s war machine in 2023. In Bogotá in July 2025, twelve non-NATO states declared a complete embargo against Israel.
A beacon of humanity extinguished by Zionist pirates
The latest Zionist piracy against the ‘Global Sumud (GAZA) Flotilla (GSF)’ by Israeli special forces has sparked sharp criticism worldwide. The flotilla, with over 40 ships and around 500 activists from at least 44 countries – including US citizens, British, Belgians, Spaniards, Malaysians, Turks and Colombians – wanted to bring humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and break the illegal Israeli blockade. Heavily armed Israeli soldiers boarded the ships in international waters, about 70 nautical miles off the coast, and captured hundreds of passengers, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.
This action is considered internationally to be a clear violation of international law, as ships in international waters enjoy the right of free passage. Around the world, the Israeli operation has been described as ‘piracy’ and ‘terrorism.’ Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called it “banditry” and criticised the ‘fascist and militaristic politicians’ of the Netanyahu government, who oppress not only Palestinians but all resistance fighters.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro went even further: he announced the expulsion of Israeli diplomats and the termination of the free trade agreement, demanded the release of Colombian citizens and spoke of necessary lawsuits before Israeli courts. South Africa called on Israel to allow the life-saving cargo into the Gaza Strip and emphasised its solidarity with the flotilla. Pakistan’s government and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim condemned the ‘intimidation and coercion’ of unarmed civilians as a disregard for the world’s conscience.
Amnesty International pointed to the ‘unlawful’ operation and warned against the continued starvation of the Gaza Strip due to the blockade since 2007. The Palestinian Authority and Hamas described the action as ‘maritime terrorism’ and a violation of Palestinian territorial waters. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) criticised the detention of journalists on board, and UN experts and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) recalled previous rulings against the illegal boarding of ships and blockades.
The kidnapped crews and passengers – including MPs, lawyers and activists – were detained without access to the consular representatives to which they are entitled under international law. Live video footage shows Israeli troops using water cannons and flashbangs before boarding the ships and, in some cases, using brutal force against the passengers. Amnesty International expressed deep concern, particularly for Arab delegates and pro-Palestinian activists who are being subjected to a Zionist smear campaign.
Tens of thousands of people around the world protested against this ‘barbarism’ in cities such as Istanbul, Athens, Buenos Aires, Rome, Berlin and Madrid. This action also highlights the ongoing protection Israel enjoys from punishment, which the criminals of the Netanyahu regime enjoy thanks to their Western protectors.
With at least 66,000 dead in the Gaza Strip, a third of them children, the dockworkers’ resistance is more than just a protest; it is a material action directed against Israel’s lifeline, namely the import of weapons and their precursors. ‘Not a single nail more for Israel!’ Riccardo Rudino shouted in Genoa, threatening: ‘If aid flotillas are attacked, we will paralyse the whole of Europe.’ This gives rise to hope.
