The Netherlands remains to be supporting the provision chain of Israel’s model of the F-35 fighter jet, greater than a yr after a courtroom banned direct Dutch exports of F-35 components to Israel, a report claims.
Analysis by the Palestinian Youth Motion (PYM) shared with Al Jazeera reveals that the port of Rotterdam is frequented by ships carrying F-35 components for upkeep and meeting. The ships belong to the Danish transport big Maersk.
By analyzing import knowledge and transport receipts of Maersk and Lockheed Martin – the USA weapons producer that designed the F-35 – the group discovered that greater than a dozen shipments from Israel travelled via the port of Rotterdam on their strategy to the US from April 2023 till early 2025.
The F-35 fighter jet has been utilized by Israel to bomb Gaza from the air with devastating impact. A lot of the Strip, the place greater than 50,000 folks have been killed since October 2023, is in ruins.
“Maersk now operates a recurring transport cycle between Lockheed Martin’s Fort Price facility in Texas and Israel Aerospace Industries in Israel, routed via Rotterdam,” the report said. “On this cycle, Maersk transports pairs of empty F-35 wing containers from Houston to Ashdod, Israel, the place they’re loaded with accomplished F-35 wings. The crammed containers are then shipped again to the US for remaining meeting or restore.”
The researchers famous that Rotterdam is a “key stopover level on this course of, and shipments for this cycle have occurred past February of 2024”.
Then, a choose at a Dutch appeals courtroom ordered the Netherlands to cease exporting and transiting F-35 components to Israel, saying there was a “clear threat” they have been being utilized in “severe violations of worldwide humanitarian legislation”.
The Dutch state instantly lodged an enchantment on the Supreme Courtroom, however till a choice is made, it’s nonetheless certain by the decrease courtroom’s ruling.
“The findings within the report present that the port of Rotterdam performs an vital position in sustaining the operational capacities of Israel’s F-35 fighter jets. This manner, the port of Rotterdam is complicit to worldwide legislation violations in Gaza,” Gerard Jonkman, director of a Dutch NGO, The Rights Discussion board, instructed Al Jazeera.
The Dutch Overseas Ministry instructed Al Jazeera that the courtroom had subsequently confirmed that the judgement in February 2024 utilized solely to the export or transit of F-35 components from the Netherlands to Israel and that the Dutch state had carried out the judgement accordingly.
A spokesperson for the port of Rotterdam instructed Al Jazeera that the Dutch Ministry of Overseas Affairs was answerable for issuing permits for the transhipment of army items. Port officers test vessel compliance with environmental and security rules for transport on behalf of the federal government and municipality of Rotterdam, they stated.
“The harbour grasp receives solely restricted info relating to vessel cargo. The data acquired primarily pertains as to if the vessel is carrying hazardous substances. Different features of vessel cargo are monitored by numerous different public authorities, reminiscent of customs.”
They stated they have been “conscious” of the February 2024 courtroom ruling.
“All actions within the port should adjust to worldwide legal guidelines and rules and the permits issued by the federal government. If we see any indication that this isn’t the case, the Port of Rotterdam Authority alerts the competent authority.”
‘The Netherlands remains to be a part of the provision chain’
The Rights Discussion board was considered one of three events, along with the Dutch affiliate of Oxfam and PAX for Peace, the biggest peace organisation within the Netherlands, that sued the Dutch state over its export of F-35 components to Israel.
“On this case, there is no such thing as a direct export from the Netherlands to Israel, however the Netherlands remains to be a part of the provision chain for the Israeli F-35 programme,” Gerard Jonkman, head of the Rights Discussion board, stated of the Palestinian Youth Motion’s findings. “This manner the Netherlands facilitates the Israeli F-35 programme and would possibly breach its obligations beneath worldwide legislation.”
PAX for Peace undertaking chief Frank Slijper instructed Al Jazeera: “This certainly reveals that the Netherlands is a part of the F-35 provide chain.”
A grassroots organisation, the Palestinian Youth Motion believes that concentrating on Maersk straight disrupts the circulation of weapons within the “provide chain of loss of life used to genocide Palestinians”.
In accordance with the group, Maersk has shipped the wings for each Israeli F-35 since March 2022.
In November 2024, following a choice by Spain to disclaim docking permission to 2 ships carrying weapons certain for Israel, Maersk adjusted its routes. The corporate’s fleet now avoids Spain in favour of Rotterdam and the port of Tangier in Morocco
“Maersk has, for years, knowingly equipped the Israeli army with key weapons elements used to hold out genocide in Gaza,” Aisha Nizar of the Palestinian Youth Motion instructed Al Jazeera. “The corporate has performed so with out hesitation, doubtlessly violating a number of arms embargo insurance policies throughout Europe.”
The F-35 is taken into account a top-of-the-line fighter jet. The plane designed by Lockheed Martin prices at the very least $80m in its most simple configuration.
At present, 12 international locations function the jet. F-35 components are made in the USA and a number of other collaborating companion international locations, giving the undertaking the moniker Joint Strike Fighter.
“It is vitally unhappy to see that Maersk will not be distancing itself from Israel’s crimes in opposition to humanity in Gaza and extra broadly continues lending itself to the essential replenishment of Israel’s armed forces,” Slijper stated. “Transport army provides for the advantage of Israel’s arms business and the [Israeli army] dangers Maersk being complicit in Israel’s crimes.”
The usage of the jet by Israel, the one nation with its distinctive model of the F-35, has been scrutinised because the begin of the onslaught in Gaza.
Lately, marketing campaign teams took the UK authorities to courtroom in a bid to halt the exports of British-made F-35 components to Israel.
In an announcement to Al Jazeera, Lockheed Martin stated: “Overseas army gross sales are government-to-government transactions, and we intently adhere to US authorities coverage with regard to conducting enterprise with worldwide companions.”
Concerning F-35 shipments, Maersk instructed Al Jazeera that it upholds a strict coverage of not transport weapons or ammunition to energetic battle zones and that it carried out due diligence, notably in areas affected by energetic conflicts, together with Israel and Gaza, and adapts this due diligence to the altering context. It confirmed, nonetheless, that its US subsidiary Maersk Line Restricted was considered one of “many corporations supporting the worldwide F-35 provide chain” with transport companies.
The F-35 programme consists of a number of coalition international locations, together with Israel.
“As a part of the coalition-building of the F-35, Maersk Line Restricted repeatedly transports components between collaborating international locations, together with Israel, the place F-35 wings are manufactured,” it stated.
