French Dockworkers Defy Government, Block Arms Shipment to Israel

French Dockworkers Refuse Arms Shipment to Israel, Citing Gaza Conflict Marseille, France – In a significant act of protest against the ongoing conflict in Gaza, dockworkers at the Port of Marseille-Fos refused to load a shipment of 14 tons of machine gun parts destined for Israel on June 5th, 2025. The shipment, consisting of 19 pallets of components for machine guns, was intended for Israel Military Industries, a subsidiary of Elbit Systems, a major supplier of munitions to the Israeli army. This action was confirmed by the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) Dockworkers union, which released a statement expressing their opposition to participating in what they see as complicity in the violence in Gaza. "We have always been opposed to all wars in the world, and here, the workers do not want to participate in sending arms and participate in the genocide perpetrated in Gaza," the union stated. The union's statement underscores the deep moral concerns felt by many French workers regarding the ongoing conflict. The refusal to load the shipment highlights the growing international scrutiny of arms sales to countries involved in conflict zones. This incident marks the third time this year that shipments of military equipment from France to Israel have faced such opposition. The previous two incidents, also reported by Disclose and The Ditch, involved similar shipments of military equipment. The French government has yet to respond to the dockworkers' actions. The incident raises questions about France's role in supplying arms to Israel amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the ethical considerations surrounding such exports.