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Netherlands still backs Israeli F-35 ‘supply chain of death': Report

Al Jazeera

3 hours ago

Al Jazeera

Netherlands still backs Israeli F-35 ‘supply chain of death': Report

The Netherlands is still supporting the supply chain of Israel's version of the F-35 fighter jet, more than a year after a court banned direct Dutch exports of F-35 parts to Israel, a report claims. Research by the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) shared with Al Jazeera shows that the port of Rotterdam is regularly frequented by ships carrying F-35 parts for maintenance and assembly. The ships belong to the Danish shipping giant Maersk. By examining import data and shipping receipts of Maersk and Lockheed Martin – the United States weapons manufacturer that designed the F-35 – the group found that more than a dozen shipments from Israel travelled through the port of Rotterdam on their way to the US. The F-35 fighter jet has been used by Israel to bomb Gaza from the air with devastating effect. Much of the Strip, where more than 50,000 people have been killed since October 2023, is in ruins. 'Maersk now operates a recurring shipping cycle between Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth facility in Texas and Israel Aerospace Industries in Israel, routed through Rotterdam,' the report stated. 'In this cycle, Maersk transports pairs of empty F-35 wing containers from Houston to Ashdod, Israel, where they are loaded with completed F-35 wings. The filled containers are then shipped back to the US for final assembly or repair.' The researchers noted that Rotterdam is a 'key stopover point in this process, and shipments for this cycle have occurred beyond February of 2024'. Then, a judge at a Dutch appeals court ordered the Netherlands to stop exporting and transiting F-35 parts to Israel, saying there was a 'clear risk' they were being used in 'serious violations of international humanitarian law'. The Dutch state immediately lodged an appeal at the Supreme Court, but until a decision is made, it is still bound by the lower court's ruling. 'The findings in the report show that the port of Rotterdam plays an important role in sustaining the operational capacities of Israel's F-35 fighter jets. This way, the port of Rotterdam is complicit to international law violations in Gaza,' Gerard Jonkman, director of a Dutch NGO, The Rights Forum, told Al Jazeera. The Dutch Foreign Ministry told Al Jazeera that the court had subsequently confirmed that the judgement in February 2024 applied only to the export or transit of F-35 parts from the Netherlands to Israel and that the Dutch state had implemented the judgement accordingly. A spokesperson for the port of Rotterdam told Al Jazeera that the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs was responsible for issuing permits for the transhipment of military goods. Port officials check vessel compliance with environmental and safety regulations for shipping on behalf of the government and municipality of Rotterdam, they said. 'The harbour master receives only limited information regarding vessel cargo. The information received mainly pertains to whether the vessel is carrying hazardous substances. Other aspects of vessel cargo are monitored by various other public authorities, such as customs.' They said they were 'aware' of the February 2024 court ruling. 'All activities in the port must comply with international laws and regulations and the permits issued by the government. If we see any indication that this is not the case, the Port of Rotterdam Authority alerts the competent authority.' The Rights Forum was one of three parties, together with the Dutch affiliate of Oxfam and PAX for Peace, the largest peace organisation in the Netherlands, that sued the Dutch state over its export of F-35 parts to Israel. 'In this case, there is no direct export from the Netherlands to Israel, but the Netherlands is still part of the supply chain for the Israeli F-35 programme,' Gerard Jonkman, head of the Rights Forum, said of the Palestinian Youth Movement's findings. 'This way the Netherlands facilitates the Israeli F-35 programme and might breach its obligations under international law.' PAX for Peace project leader Frank Slijper told Al Jazeera: 'This indeed shows that the Netherlands is part of the F-35 supply chain.' A grassroots organisation, the Palestinian Youth Movement believes that targeting Maersk directly disrupts the flow of weapons in the 'supply chain of death used to genocide Palestinians'. According to the group, Maersk has shipped the wings for every Israeli F-35 since March 2022. In November 2024, following a decision by Spain to deny docking permission to two ships carrying weapons bound for Israel, Maersk adjusted its routes. The company's fleet now avoids Spain in favour of Rotterdam and the port of Tangier in Morocco 'Maersk has, for years, knowingly supplied the Israeli military with key weapons components used to carry out genocide in Gaza,' Aisha Nizar of the Palestinian Youth Movement told Al Jazeera. 'The company has done so without hesitation, potentially violating multiple arms embargo policies across Europe.' The F-35 is considered a top-of-the-line fighter jet. The aircraft designed by Lockheed Martin costs at least $80m in its most basic configuration. Currently, 12 countries operate the jet. F-35 parts are made in the United States and several participating partner countries, giving the project the moniker Joint Strike Fighter. 'It is very sad to see that Maersk is not distancing itself from Israel's crimes against humanity in Gaza and more broadly continues lending itself to the crucial replenishment of Israel's armed forces,' Slijper said. 'Shipping military supplies for the benefit of Israel's arms industry and the [Israeli army] risks Maersk being complicit in Israel's crimes.' The use of the jet by Israel, the only country with its unique version of the F-35, has been scrutinised since the start of the onslaught in Gaza. Recently, campaign groups took the United Kingdom government to court in a bid to halt the exports of British-made F-35 parts to Israel. In a statement to Al Jazeera, Lockheed Martin said: 'Foreign military sales are government-to-government transactions, and we closely adhere to US government policy with regard to conducting business with international partners.' Regarding F-35 shipments, Maersk told Al Jazeera that it upholds a strict policy of not shipping weapons or ammunition to active conflict zones and that it conducted due diligence, particularly in regions affected by active conflicts, including Israel and Gaza, and adapts this due diligence to the changing context. It confirmed, however, that its US subsidiary Maersk Line Limited was one of 'many companies supporting the global F-35 supply chain' with transport services. The F-35 programme includes several coalition countries, including Israel. 'As part of the coalition-building of the F-35, Maersk Line Limited regularly transports parts between participating countries, including Israel, where F-35 wings are manufactured,' it said.