French lawmaker calls for blocking military cargo for Israel at Charles de Gaulle Airport

Call to block the shipment

French lawmaker Thomas Portes, a member of the France Unbowed (LFI) party, on Thursday called for blocking a military cargo that was due to be shipped to Israel from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, the Anadolu agency reported citing French media. 'France is complicit in genocide,' Portes wrote on the social network X, claiming that the cargo was being prepared for shipment from the airport in Roissy-en-France. 'This plane of shame must stay on the ground,' he added, thanking the trade unions and the Urgence Palestine collective for the tip and for mobilizing against the shipment.

What is known about the cargo

The newspaper L'Humanite reported as early as Wednesday that aircraft components manufactured in France were to be delivered to Tel Aviv on Thursday for the Israeli defense company Elbit Systems. The association Action Securite Ethique Republicaines (ASER) also passed on a tip on Thursday, citing Urgence Palestine, the Palestinian Youth Movement and People's Embargo for Palestine. According to ASER, the components were produced by Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse and were intended for Elisra, a subsidiary of Elbit Systems specializing in electronic warfare and signals intelligence. The shipment was scheduled to depart on an El Al flight at 15:35 local time. Several trade union organizations, including CGT 93, SUD Aerien and Solidaires 93, called on airport workers to block the cargo, ASER reports.

What remains unknown

According to the available reports, it remains unclear whether the shipment actually took place and whether the authorities or the airport responded to the calls. The reports about the cargo's contents are based on statements by activist organizations and the ASER association, as well as on the L'Humanite publication; no confirmation from the manufacturer Liebherr-Aerospace, Elbit Systems or the French authorities is cited in the reports.