[News] Block the Boat - The unpublicized impact of a successful BDS action

[Anti-Imperialist News]

  The unpublicized impact of a successful BDS action

By Roqayah Chamseddine - Thu, 2014-09-04 18:13- In Homage to the Struggle
*http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/unpublicized-impact-successful-bds-action*

There is no question as to how immensely successful the Block the Boat 
protest at the Port of Oakland, led by Arab Resource and Organizing 
Center <http://araborganizing.org/> (AROC) and arranged with the help of 
countless organizations, was. Unless you are a supporter of Israel or a 
journalist at the Oakland Tribune 
<http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_26371947/protest-stalled-ship-at-port-oakland-finally-unloaded>. 
Thousands of protesters, including an estimated 5,000 
<http://www.workers.org/articles/2014/08/18/block-boat-gaza-stops-israeli-zim-ship/> 
who marched on the Port of Oakland on August 16, prevented the Zim 
Piraeus from unloading by keeping workers from crossing their picket 
line to enter the port for a historic four days, making it "the longest 
blockade of an Israeli ship" according to AROC.

The Oakland Tribune, /Haaretz/, and a number of other outlets, reported 
that the Israeli-owned Zim Piraeus /unloaded/ its cargo after "delays" 
but after speaking to a number of distributors whose cargo was being 
transported by Zim Piraeus I found this to be unmistakably false and 
misleading.

According to a document from PIERS 
<http://www.scribd.com/doc/237324873/Cargo-Carried-by-Zim-Piraeus-to-Port-of-Oakland-August-2014>, 
a database of US international trade which provides maritime logistics, 
at least 23 companies are clearly listed as having goods aboard Zim 
Piraeus -- ranging from cucumber pickles and sparkling wine to ceramic 
tiles and solar swimming pool heaters -- with some goods originating in 
Israel. Though building materials and agricultural produce were listed 
by PIERS it should be noted that Zim Integrated Shipping Services 
imports ammunition 
<http://www.scribd.com/doc/238020579/Imports-of-Ammunition-by-Zim-Shipping-2013-2014> 
"manufactured by Israel Manufacturing Industries by Federal Cartridge 
(Federal Premium Ammunition)" which makes defense ammunition used by 
U.S. law enforcement and has a weapons contract with the Department of 
Homeland Security. Federal Premium Ammunition is a subsidiary of Alliant 
Techsystems, which produces Bushmaster autocannons used by U.S. forces 
and NATO, the AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile 
<http://www.atk.com/products-services/advanced-anti-radiation-guided-missile-aargm> 
(an air-to-surface missile), Hellfire missile upgrades, and provides 
other weapons services to the US military and allies. The import report 
for Zim shows that the ammunitions originated in Israel, at the Port of 
Haifa and arrived at the Port of Savannah in Georgia.

Zim's first ship, the Kedmah, was purchased in 1947, before the creation 
of the State of Israel, and would carry thousand of immigrants to 
Palestine. In 1948 Zim ships would carry arms and ammunition used to 
carry out the Nakba, and according to a video 
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEr2VuAFg-g&app=desktop> published 
online by Zim Integrated Shipping Services "Zim would play this crucial 
role every time Israel faced conflict." Ze'ev Shind, a key Mossad 
activist who would become managing director of Zim Israel Navigation 
Co., president of the American-Israel Shipping Co., and Director-General 
of Israel's Ministry of Communications and Ministry of Defense was the 
organizers and principal figures organizing immigration to Palestine, 
according to /The Canadian Jewish Chronicle 
<http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2Q0AJrNhS-QC&dat=19540101&printsec=frontpage&hl=en>/. 
The role of Zim in the ethnic cleansing of Palestine is well documented, 
even by Zim sources.

Esteson Co., a direct food and beverage importer and distributor in 
California, posted on their Facebook page that their "garlic is now 
rotting on its way to Russia to be offloaded unto (sic) another vessel," 
and when contacted for comment it was mentioned that a container of Zeos 
beer never arrived due to the Port action. All in all, Esteson Co. has 
not received /any/ of their products as of September 3.

Good Stuff Distributors, located in San Francisco, California, told 
/Al-Akhbar English/ that not only did they not receive their shipment of 
Zadona cucumber pickles as of September 3 they do not know where the 
cargo is and are still waiting to hear from Zadona as to where the items 
are. A spokesperson for Good Stuff Distributors informed /Al-Akhbar 
English/ that not only were they unaware of Zim's ties to Israel they 
have made it clear to Zadona, of Sinokrot Food Company, that they are to 
"find another vessel" as Good Stuff Distributors will no longer be using 
Zim.

Alfa Omega Co., which has trading partners in France, Spain and Greece, 
disclosed to /Al-Akhbar English/ that their business was "greatly 
affected", as they did not receive any of their products, including 
olives. The spokesperson was clearly unhappy, stating that the targeting 
of Zim by the Block the Boat protesters, specifically, is the reason 
that they will now look for another vessel to use for their products, 
despite having worked with Zim "for years".

The sales and marketing manager at Carmichael International Service, a 
customs broker and freight forwarder with laminated glass aboard Zim 
Piraeus, told /Al-Akhbar English/ that customers did not receive their 
products as of September 3, but it was due to "delays" and "port 
congestion," which is undoubtedly a brazen spin on what transpired at 
the Port of Oakland. When examining the vessel schedule for the Zim 
Piraeus, dating back to July and after August 20, we find that there are 
no analogous delays as there was in Oakland as the vessels usually left 
the same day or a day after, unlike at the Port of Oakland where the 
"delay" was at least four days long.

Cynara Worldwide Sourcing Inc., located in Fresno, California, said that 
all products on the Zim Piraeus were not only never unloaded but that 
they were sent to Shanghai and they wouldn't receive them until at least 
the end of the month. As a result of Block the Boat, the spokesperson 
told /Al-Akhbar English/ that they have put an immediate halt to 
"everything on Zim" and will now be looking for other vessels they can use.

The most curious case in regards to Block the Boat is that of American 
Metals and Chemicals, located in Hollywood, Florida. A representative 
told /Al-Akhbar English/ that they did not receive their shipment of 
alkyl sulfonic acid, and that the cargo was diverted to Russia. When 
asked who they were contacted by the representative stated that a letter 
was delivered from an attorney's office, though they could not find the 
letter at the time of the phonecall so as to disclose which office. The 
letter stated, in part, that their shipment was "turned away because of 
the strike" at the Port of Oakland. There was also a follow up telephone 
call from the same office, letting them know that their products were 
being diverted.

The remaining consignees listed as having cargo delivered to the Port of 
Oakland by the Zim Piraeus during the Block the Boat campaign were 
contacted by /Al-Akhbar English/ but did not immediately return calls 
for comment on the whereabouts of their goods -- based on what was 
revealed by the 6 companies that did supply information it is not 
difficult to assume that they faced comparable circumstances. 
Regardless, Block the Boat was not only successful in keeping the Zim 
Piraeus from unloading the aforementioned cargo but due /specifically/ 
to this action a number of companies are now either putting a hold on 
all products using Zim vessels or reconsidering using Zim, which is not 
only contrary to what the media has reported but an impressive 
achievement for the movement for boycotts, divestment and sanctions 
(BDS) against Israel.

/*Roqayah Chamseddine is a Sydney based Lebanese-American journalist and 
commentator. She tweets @roqchams <https://twitter.com/@roqchams> and 
writes 'Letters From the Underground. <http://roqayah.co/>'*/

-- 
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863.9977 www.freedomarchives.org
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