A Belgian court on Thursday ordered the regional Flemish government to block the transit of military goods bound for Israel, including through the port of Antwerp.
The court said it would enforce a €50,000 ($58,000) fine per shipment if the government violated the regulation. Antwerp is the second largest container port in Europe.
The four Flemish NGOs that filed the case accused the Flemish government of "not intervening decisively enough" in its monitoring of equipment exported to Israel for potential military use, the court said in a statement. "The interim relief judge believes this fear is apparently well-founded," it said.
The NGOs - Vredeactie, INTAL, 11.11.11 and the League for Human Rights - said military equipment destined for Israel is likely used by the Israeli military in Gaza. "This historic ruling recognises that the Flemish government bears a crushing legal responsibility for facilitating military missions to a state that commits war crimes and possibly genocide," they said.
The judge also ordered the seizure of a container destined for Israeli defence company Ashot Ashkelon Industries containing spare parts, produced in France, for armoured vehicles. Court documents show that plaintiffs argued this shipment was not an "isolated incident," pointing out four other ships suspected of carrying military goods departed for Israel in the past few weeks.
The court found the Flemish authorities had a "passive attitude", described as "problematic", and inspect such shipments only after a request by transporters, giving the impression they are not in control of the situation, the NGOs said.
The judge supported their position by citing Israel's documented breaches of international law in Gaza since October 7, 2023, Belgian press agency Belga reported. References were made to findings by the UN and the International Court of Justice concerning violations of international humanitarian law, the laws of war and the Genocide Convention.
Israel and close allies, including the US, have rejected accusations of genocide, which were described last year by the ICJ as "plausible". The accusation has been endorsed by human rights organisations and nations such as Ireland. Israel says the high death toll is unavoidable because the war is taking place in a densely populated area.
In 2009, Belgium decided to not issue arms exports licences that would strengthen the Israeli military forces, though goods can be sent to Israel in some cases, such as if they are then re-exported to a third country. Reports indicate the decision has not been respected. "The Flemish arms embargo has proven to be an empty shell," the NGOs said.
Last month, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters blocked access to two Belgian defence companies accused of complicity in Israel's war on Gaza. The chief executive of one of the companies, a subsidiary of Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit systems, accused the protesters of vandalising equipment destined for Ukraine.
The Gaza war was triggered by a Hamas attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people. Israel's retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 58,667 Palestinians.
The high death toll and reports of starvation have put the European Union under pressure to review its relations with Israel, though with little effect so far.
The EU's 27 foreign ministers decided to not launch retaliatory measures this week, despite ascertaining that Israel had breached a human rights clause governing relations with the bloc. They instead agreed to monitor a deal struck recently with Israel to allow more aid into Gaza.
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Racecard
2pm Handicap Dh 90,000 1,800m
2.30pm Handicap Dh120,000 1,950m
3pm Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m
3.30pm Jebel Ali Classic Conditions Dh300,000 1,400m
4pm Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m
4.30pm Conditions Dh250,000 1,400m
5pm Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m
5.30pm Handicap Dh85,000 1,000m
The National selections:
2pm Arch Gold
2.30pm Conclusion
3pm Al Battar
3.30pm Golden Jaguar
4pm Al Motayar
4.30pm Tapi Sioux
5pm Leadership
5.30pm Dahawi
Europe wide
Some of French groups are threatening Friday to continue their journey to Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the European Union, and to meet up with drivers from other countries on Monday.
Belgian authorities joined French police in banning the threatened blockade. A similar lorry cavalcade was planned for Friday in Vienna but cancelled after authorities prohibited it.
Hotel Silence
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Pushkin Press
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Zayed Sustainability Prize
