This Saturday, the Government allowed a container ship associated with an alleged irregular plan to transport weapons to Israel to stop at the port of Lisbon. The approval was challenged by the BDS – Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement and questioned by the parliamentary groups of the Left Bloc and the Portuguese Communist Party. To Rádio Observador, the captain of the port of Lisbon explains that no independent check was carried out on the ship because “there was no reason.”

But what is at stake?

The movement that made the complaint about the ship stated that, in recent months, the ship made more than 400 trips transporting military weapons originating in the United States and destined for Israel. The company guarantees that, when passing through Lisbon, the shipment did not contain war material, which should only be loaded during a future passage through Tangier, in Morocco.

The President of the Republic himself ended up speaking about the case to say that the ship’s history “is beyond Portuguese control” and that there is no information about what could be loaded on the ship in future stops: it is expected to return to dock in Morocco. at the next stop. “At that time what they told me was that there was no justification for taking [medidas]. They informed me of this,” Marcelo concluded.

In 16 points we explain what is at stake in this case.

What ship is this?

This is the Nysted Maersk ship (IMO9220897), owned by Maersk Shipping Hong Kong Lda, which flies the Hong Kong flag.

What raised suspicions about the ship?

A complaint from the international BDS – Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which says it “works to end international support for the oppression of Palestinians in Israel.” This warning led the parliamentary group of the Left Bloc to question the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the ship that will dock in Lisbon this Saturday night and that would be destined for Israel. According to the complaint, the ship was dedicated to transporting weapons and ammunition, coming from the United States, for the Israeli army.having carried out around four hundred missions of this nature in recent months. “Will the Government allow the use of the port of Lisbon to a ship whose mission is to maintain an illegal plan to supply weapons to Israel’s genocidal army?” the blockers asked.

How did the Government react?

The Government denied, based on the cargo manifest, that there was justification for denying entry to the port of Lisbon. In response to the accusations, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing issued a statement saying that would not prohibit the ship from entering the port of Lisbon because it was not “carrying any military cargo, weapons or explosives”, read a statement sent to the editorial staff.

The Government says that the cargo does not justify denying entry into Lisbon to a ship heading to Israel

The Left Bloc ended up questioning the Government’s response, since the issue was not so much the cargo of the ship, but the fact that it was heading to Tangier, where it would load the material destined for Israel.

The parliamentary leader of the bloc stated on RTP3 that “the Government is wrong.” “The Spanish State has not authorized this ship to dock in Algeciras because it has been involved in the illegal transport of weapons from the United States to Israel.”

And what did the President of the Republic say?

Marcelo downplayed the ship’s recent history in transporting weapons or military materiel to Israel. After initially refusing to comment on the controversy, the Head of State eliminated the Government’s responsibilities in the matter.

“If a year ago, two years ago, three years ago [o navio] “He made another type of transport, which, at this moment, is outside of Portuguese control,” Marcelo began by saying.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa devalues ​​story of ship suspected of transporting weapons to Israel

“The ethical question,” considered Marcelo, is to know if “it can be verified that [o navio] There was nothing in what he was carrying, nor in what he unloaded nor in what he could have loaded, related to weapons for a specific country, that is, Israel.” It is not possible to determine what material it could still transport, he added. “It is known that here he carried what were not weapons and that is what the Government explained,” he said. “Now, what are you going to do in three days, ten days, one year, two years, within the scope of the company’s activity, Portugal, in due time? If you find reasons to worry and you consider it objectionable, you can then take measures,” he stressed. “At that time what they told me was that there was no justification to take.” [medidas]. “They informed me of this,” he concluded.

When did the ship arrive in Lisbon?

The ship docked in Lisbon this Saturday night, causing a protest by dozens of people in front of the Lisbon port.

Is the ship still in Portugal?

According to a statement from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing, the ship was scheduled to leave the port of Lisbon on the morning of this Sunday, November 10. Paulo Vicente, captain of the Port of Lisbon, confirmed to the Observer that the ship is no longer in Lisbon and that it left this Sunday around six in the morning.

Was the ship transporting weapons to Israel?

“In response to a request for clarification, we were reconfirmed that no military cargo is transported, weapons or explosives.” This is stated in the statement from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing sent to the editorial staff, “based on the ship’s manifest and the information provided to the shipowner and relevant authorities.” “It is reported that there are no containers destined for Israel,” says the same text.

In a brief note sent to Agência Lusa, the company that owns the ship guaranteed that there was no cargo or military weapons on board. “The cargo in question fully complies with national and international laws and regulations. The cargo to be transhipped does not include military weapons or ammunition,” Maersk said in that note.

Has the boat been checked in the Port of Lisbon?

No. On Rádio Observador, Paulo Vicente, captain of the Port of Lisbon, explains that No independent checks were carried out on the ship because “there was no reason.” for this verification by national authorities. “There is no mandate or determination, there is nothing that does this. The ship comes from a port that is not part of the Schengen area, it has a cargo manifest,” he continues. The information was provided based on an “inventory” and a “communication” provided.

What was left in Portugal?

According to a statement from the Ministry of Infrastructure, the unloading of 144 containers contained: men’s clothing, SKODA cars, nuts and other seeds, empty and dirty ISOTANKS, copper ingots, women’s clothing, confectionery products without cocoa, plants, parts of plants, seeds and fruits, fish fillets, frozen foods, preparations and preserves, soaps, pellets, wooden furniture, tea, copper waste and residue, fresh, chilled, frozen or dried carob beans, whether or not in powder form, uncooked pasta, olives, sanitary articles, electrical apparatus for the control or distribution of electricity, raw copper and zinc-based alloys (brass), coriander seeds, not crushed or powdered, pictures, paintings and drawings made entirely by hand, citrus fruits, prepared or preserved, shampoos, ceramic works, bags of any size for packaging textile materials, glass cups and fiber optic cables.

What was loaded in Lisbon?

According to the Government, the ship passed through Lisbon “without carrying any cargo.”

What happened inside the ship?

“The cargo transported and transited (without being unloaded in Portugal) includes three containers with aircraft components (wing parts) destined for the United States,” reads the ministry statement.

Where was the ship before arriving in Lisbon?

Before heading to Lisbon, the ship docked in recent days in Casablanca (11/5), Valencia (11/2), Barcelona (11/1), Fos-Sur-Mer (10/31), Genoa (10/30 10), Haifa (10/25), Mercin (10/22), Alexandria (10/20), according to the ministry statement.

Where is the ship heading?

Paulo Vicente, captain of the port of Lisbon, informed Rádio Observador that the ship is already heading to Tangier. According to the Government statement, There are containers “with aircraft components (wing parts) destined for the US.”.

Was the ship redirected from Spain to Lisbon?

Yes, the Nysted Maersk ship, expected in Lisbon, was scheduled to arrive at the Spanish port of Algeciras on the 9th, but was diverted to Portugal, after the ban by the Spanish Government, the Público newspaper reported this Saturday.

How did the case arise in Spain?

The case arose in the Spanish press when an investigation by Progressive International and the Palestinian Youth Movement, published in El Diario, denounced that ships of this type from the United States of America bound for Israel stopped in Spain, even that the Government Pedro Sánchez had already prohibited this practice.

How did the Spanish government react?

According to the newspaper El País, Pedro Sánchez’s executive denied the scale in Algeciras of two United States ships suspected of transporting weapons to Israel, after, that same morning, following the published investigation, a deputy from the Spanish left-wing coalition Sumar, Enrique Santiago, also reported suspicions about the ships. However, the Spanish Government did not explain because it decided to prevent Maersk ships from stopping in Spain.

This is, in fact, one of the questions asked by the PCP to the Portuguese Government. “At some point in this process did the Portuguese Government seek to obtain information from the Government of Spain about the reasons for prohibiting the ship from docking in the port of Algeciras?” ask the communists, who believe that it was the suspicion of transporting weapons to Israel that led the Spanish Government to take preventive measures. “In fact, it was this reason that led the authorities of the Spanish State to prevent the ship from docking in Algeciras, the reason closest to its passage through Lisbon. It is known that, after Lisbon, the ship heads to Tangier, continuing the route eastwards, towards Israel,” states the PCP.