"Did Morocco Permit a Military Supplies Transit to Israel Through Tanger Med Port?", 12 November 2024

Moroccan authorities allowed the US vessel Maersk Denver to dock at Tanger Med port, after Spain had denied it entry over suspicions it was carrying weapons bound for Israel. The container ship arrived at Tanger Med 2 facilities late Friday night, closer to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta than to the Moroccan city of Tangier, according to vessel tracking data from VesselFinder...

The decision by Moroccan authorities to welcome the vessel has triggered significant protests and criticism from various Moroccan civil society organizations, particularly given Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza has resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian civilian casualties.

The Moroccan Front for Palestine Support and Against Normalization strongly condemned what it termed a “shameful decision” by authorities, noting this was the second such incident following the reception of the Israeli military vessel “Komemiyut” at the same port.

In a strongly worded statement, the Front declared that “the authorities have confirmed their choice to stand with the enemy, exposing the falsehood of the official discourse that claims normalization with the occupation and apartheid entity does not contradict support for the Palestinian people.”

The Moroccan branch of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement called on port workers to refuse to handle the ship’s cargo and urged authorities to follow Spain’s example in denying entry to vessels potentially carrying military supplies to Israel during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

The organization specifically called on Moroccan authorities “to fulfill their legal responsibility as one of the countries that signed a letter calling on the UN Secretary-General to take decisive steps to prevent military shipments to the occupation.”...

According to sources speaking to Assahifa outlet, the Maersk Denver’s ultimate destination is the Port of Salalah in Oman, not Haifa, Israel, as previously reported. Port officials have vehemently denied claims about weapons transport, stating that the vessel primarily unloaded food products during its technical stopover. They emphasized that the ship, as a civilian vessel, is prohibited under international maritime law from transporting arms or hazardous materials - a task reserved exclusively for military ships...

...Maersk has consistently denied that the vessels are carrying weapons or military ammunition. In a statement, the company claimed that “the cargo to be transshipped through the port does not include weapons or military ammunition” and that it “fully complies with national and international laws and regulations.”

Maersk explained that the cargo is part of the “security cooperation program between the United States and Israel.” They noted that the US conducts similar security cooperation programs with international organizations and over 200 countries, including Middle Eastern nations like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Lebanon...

The expected arrival of the second vessel, Maersk Seletar, at Tanger Med this weekend threatens to further inflame these tensions, as civil society organizations have already announced plans for additional protests and calls for port workers to refuse handling any potential military cargo.