Belgian court bans all transit of military equipment to Israel

A court ruling in Brussels ordered the regional Flemish government, home to one of Europe's largest ports, to stop all transit of military equipment to Israel.

The legal decision was announced on July 17 and will largely affect transit through the Antwerp-Bruges port, Caliber.Az reports citing Belgian VRT.

According to the ruling, the Flemish government must stop all transit of “defence-related products and other equipment for military use for which there is no material certainty that they are intended exclusively for civilian end use,” with penalty of 50,000 euros per violation.

The ruling currently focuses on a container of tapered rolled bearings for the Israeli defence company Ashot Ashkelon, which is a key supplier of transmission systems for Israel’s Merkava tanks and Namer armoured vehicles, both actively used in Gaza.

Tapered roller bearings can be considered “dual-use” goods, usable for both civilian and military purposes. Thanks to their slanted, cone-shaped rollers, they can absorb both lateral and thrust forces simultaneously, making them ideal for heavy-duty applications such as in cars and machines.

Following the interception of the container in Antwerp earlier this month, the NGO Vredesactie and opposition party Groen called on the Flemish government to intervene, as the destination of the material suggests a military application. “There was already a regulation prohibiting our country from exporting weapons parts to Israel, but these military goods are still being shipped via the port of Antwerp-Zeebrugge. The court has clearly stated that Flanders has a responsibility in this matter and must stop these goods from being shipped,” a member of the NGO told the publication.

The Flemish government is the executive branch for the Flemish region of Belgium, which comprises the northern Dutch-speaking half of the country, usually referred to as Flanders. The country is split into three administrative regions, the other two being French-speaking Walloon in the south and the bilingual Brussels Capital Region.

By Nazrin Sadigova