Indian trade union refuses to handle weapons shipments to Israel
The Water Transport Workers Federation of India, representing 3,500 workers across 11 major Indian ports, has refused to handle any weaponized cargo shipments to Israel.
“We the port workers, part of labor unions, would always stand against the war and killing [of] innocent women and children,” the union said in a statement.
“The recent attack by Israel on Gaza plunged thousands of Palestinians into immense suffering and loss. Women and children have been blown into pieces in the war. Parents were unable to recognize their children killed in bombings,” it added.
What workers solidarity and trade union action looks like. Water Transport Workers Federation of India representing workers at 11 major ports refuse to handle weaponised cargo meant for use in Palestine.
The statement comes in solidarity with a
Palestinian trade unions, T Narendra Rao, the federation’s general secretary told Indian news outlet, The Wire.
Rao said they had not encountered any report of any weapons shipment bound for Israel so far, but were issuing the statement “to express solidarity with Palestine” and make clear that they would not be part of any future enterprise to support Israel’s war on Palestinian people, according to reports in The Wire.
Meanwhile, India has exported more than 20 military drones to the Israeli military, adding to Tel Aviv’s expanding fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that are being used extensively in its military operation in Gaza, The Wire and NDTV reported, citing Sheperd Media.
According to reports from these news outlets, an IndiaIsrael joint venture, in which Indian business magnate Gautam Adani has a controlling stake, has manufactured and dispatched more than 20 Hermes 900 drones to the Israeli military.
The reported weapons sale comes at a time when more countries across the globe are pulling the plug on arms support to Israel after the International Court of Justice ruled that Tel Aviv could be committing genocide in Gaza.
Israel’s military operation in Gaza has so far killed 28,985 Palestinians, including more than 10,000 children.
Several nations have hit the pause button on weapons exports to Israel in the wake of the latter’s ongoing military operation in Gaza. This comes after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel could be committing genocide.
Here, Al Arabiya English provides an overview of countries that have stopped arms supply to Tel Aviv and those that haven’t.
Italy’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani said last month his country had blocked all arms exports to Israel as soon as the attacks on Gaza started.
“Since October 7, [2023] we decided not to send any more arms to Israel, so there is no need to discuss this point,” Tajani said, according to a report from Italian news agency ANSA.
His comments reportedly came in response to opposition lawmaker Elly Schlein’s statement that Italy must stop all arms exports to the Middle East, particularly to Israel.
A Dutch court on Monday banned the Netherlands from exporting F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel over concerns that they were being used in violation of international law during Israel’s Gaza offensive.
The fighter jet parts are owned by the US, but stored in a warehouse in the Netherlands under bilateral agreements. They are exported to multiple countries, including Israel.
Japanese company Itochu Corporation announced last week that it will end its partnership with Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems by the end of this month.
Itochu plans to end the collaboration after the ICJ ordered Israel last month to prevent acts of genocide against Palestinians and do more to help civilians, Itochu Chief Financial Officer Tsuyoshi Hachimura said.