A major Moroccan port workers’ union has called for a boycott of a Danish cargo vessel suspected of transporting US military equipment to Israel, in what is being described as the strongest labor-led opposition to Israel’s war on Gaza since the conflict began.
The Union of Port Workers, part of the influential Moroccan Labour Union (UMT), issued a statement on Monday urging dockworkers at Casablanca Port to refuse to handle the Maersk Nexoe, a vessel expected to arrive on 18 April. The union warned that aiding the ship’s transit would make workers “direct accomplices in the genocidal war against the Palestinian people.” It also urged Moroccan authorities to deny the vessel access to both Casablanca and Tangier Med, the country’s main port.
The move comes amid growing public discontent in Morocco over the government’s normalization of ties with Israel. Religious groups and civil society movements have joined calls to prevent the ship’s docking. A collective of Islamic scholars, many linked to the Al-Adl Wal Ihssan movement, issued a rare religious edict condemning the facilitation of military shipments to Israel as a grave betrayal of the Muslim community.
The Maersk Nexoe is believed to be carrying spare parts for F-35 fighter jets used by Israel in its ongoing operations in Gaza. Reports suggest that the cargo originated in Houston aboard the Maersk Detroit, a US-flagged vessel, and will be transferred to the Nexoe in Tangier before continuing to Haifa, Israel.
While Maersk and Moroccan officials have yet to confirm the cargo’s nature, a source at Tangier Med told local outlet that port authorities do not have visibility into the contents of transiting containers.
The Moroccan chapter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement has tracked multiple Maersk ships docking in Moroccan ports in recent months and suspects involvement in weapons transshipment, despite only one officially listing Israel as a final destination.
The BDS movement argues that international law obligates states to impose arms embargoes on countries engaged in unlawful military actions or human rights violations. It has urged dockworkers in Spain, Turkey, and Morocco to block vessels linked to Israel’s military operations.
In France, port workers at Fos-sur-Mer recently delayed the arrival of similar ships, prompting France’s CGT union to consider a wider boycott of trade with Israel. This follows a ruling by the International Court of Justice that Israel may be committing genocide in Gaza.
As of 15 April, maritime tracking data shows the Nexoe heading toward Valencia, Spain, while the Detroit is en route to Tangier. Pro-Palestine groups in Morocco are planning mass protests at the ports of Casablanca and Tangier on 18 and 20 April, aiming to pressure authorities to block the vessels.
The protests coincide with a surge in public outrage across Morocco, where recent demonstrations in Rabat, Casablanca, and Tangier have demanded an end to all diplomatic, commercial, and military ties with Israel.
Despite statements from Moroccan lawmakers calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, the government has not responded publicly to the reports of military shipments or the union’s demands.
Maersk has declined to comment but previously stated it does not transport arms or ammunition to Israel, though it does carry cargo on behalf of the US government and does not prohibit military-related shipments under its policies.