Workers at 100 ports act against arming Israel as boycott hits supply chains

Under the slogan “Port workers do not work for war”, the organizers of the action seek to put pressure on shipping companies and commercial institutions, by refusing to participate in the transfer of weapons, ammunition, and military equipment to Israel, and opposing transactions that contribute to the continuation of its war effort.

According to a report issued by the National Authority in the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, whose details were published by the Hebrew website Walla, the anticipated events represent the second round of the “International Day of Action” for port workers, following a round witnessed last February in which about 20 ports in 6 countries participated.

Israeli estimates monitor the expansion of the anticipated participation to five times the number of ports in the previous round, with variations in the nature of the actions and the scale of their impact from one country to another.

Strikes in major ports

The initiative is led by the Ports in Action coalition, which includes groups and unions in the port sector, in parallel with mobilization activities for the No Harbor for Genocide campaign, with the support of groups associated with the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement against Israel (BDS), according to the report.

Italy and Greece stand out as two main centers for the expected action, as the report indicates the announcement of 24-hour strikes including major Italian ports, including Genoa, Livorno, Gioia Tauro, and Trieste, alongside the Greek port of Piraeus, which is an important center for shipping traffic in the Mediterranean, with anticipated activities in other Greek ports.

In France, the actions include calls for strikes and work delays in major ports, including Marseille–Fos and Le Havre. The list of countries expected to participate also includes Spain, India, Sweden, Portugal, Türkiye, Morocco, Denmark, Ireland, and the United States.

However, the inclusion of these ports and countries within the scope of action does not mean that work will stop in all of them; the Israeli assessment suggests that participation in a number of them will take the form of demonstrations, marches, and solidarity statements, while the possibility of actual disruption is concentrated in ports witnessing strikes or abstention from handling shipments.

Israeli concern over supply disruption

Israeli concern, according to the report, focuses on the possibility of disrupting the movement of goods and containers heading to Israel, whether through direct shipping lines or through intermediate ports through which shipments pass before reaching their final destination.

This interconnected network grants trade union action an importance that extends beyond the borders of a single port, as the cessation of handling a shipment at one of the transit stations can delay the completion of its journey, and place transport companies under pressure regarding delivery dates and operating costs.

However, the actual impact volume remains linked to the breadth of response to the calls, the duration of the work stoppage, and the nature of the shipments that the protest will include. The circulated figures describe the scope of anticipated mobilization, and do not represent the tally of strikes already carried out.

The Israeli report views the initiative as an attempt to expand the boycott from popular campaigns and the digital space to the infrastructure of international trade, transport centers, and logistics services, granting it the ability to directly influence corporate interests and the movement of supplies.

From solidarity to pressure on companies

The organizers’ demands combine halting the transfer of weapons, ammunition, and military equipment, rejecting trade associated with the Israeli war effort, and exerting direct pressure on shipping companies and businesses participating in these transactions.

The call comes in the context of boycott campaigns and continuous trade union pressure since the beginning of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, and demands a halt arms exports to Israel and restrictions on military and trade relations with it.

At the core of this action stands the role played by cargo and discharge workers in the transfer of goods between ships, docks, and transport networks, which the organizers seek to turn into a means of pressure that goes beyond declaring solidarity to influencing the movement of shipments associated with the war.

The test of October 30 remains in the extent of this international coordination’s ability to turn calls into an actual refusal to handle those shipments, and to impose a commercial cost on the continuation of their transfer, a possibility that prompts Israeli authorities to follow the action before it is launched.