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<h1 class="title">The unpublicized impact of a successful BDS action
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<div class="meta after-title"> <span class="submitted"> By Roqayah
Chamseddine - Thu, 2014-09-04 18:13- <span class="blog-title">In
Homage to the Struggle<br>
<b><small><small><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/unpublicized-impact-successful-bds-action">http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/unpublicized-impact-successful-bds-action</a></small></small></b><br>
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<p>There is no question as to how immensely successful the Block
the Boat protest at the Port of Oakland, led by <a
href="http://araborganizing.org/" target="_new">Arab Resource
and Organizing Center</a> (AROC) and arranged with the help of
countless organizations, was. Unless you are a supporter of
Israel or a journalist at the <a
href="http://www.insidebayarea.com/breaking-news/ci_26371947/protest-stalled-ship-at-port-oakland-finally-unloaded"
target="_new">Oakland Tribune</a>. Thousands of protesters,
including <a
href="http://www.workers.org/articles/2014/08/18/block-boat-gaza-stops-israeli-zim-ship/"
target="_new">an estimated 5,000</a> 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.</p>
<p>The Oakland Tribune, <i>Haaretz</i>, and a number of other
outlets, reported that the Israeli-owned Zim Piraeus <i>unloaded</i>
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. </p>
<p>According to a document from <a
href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/237324873/Cargo-Carried-by-Zim-Piraeus-to-Port-of-Oakland-August-2014"
target="_new">PIERS</a>, 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 <a
href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/238020579/Imports-of-Ammunition-by-Zim-Shipping-2013-2014"
target="_new">imports ammunition</a> “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 <a
href="http://www.atk.com/products-services/advanced-anti-radiation-guided-missile-aargm"
target="_new">AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile</a> (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.</p>
<p>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 <a
href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEr2VuAFg-g&app=desktop"
target="_new">video</a> 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 <i><a
href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2Q0AJrNhS-QC&dat=19540101&printsec=frontpage&hl=en"
target="_new">The Canadian Jewish Chronicle</a></i>. The
role of Zim in the ethnic cleansing of Palestine is well
documented, even by Zim sources.</p>
<p>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 <i>any</i> of their products as of September 3.</p>
<p>Good Stuff Distributors, located in San Francisco, California,
told <i>Al-Akhbar English</i> 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 <i>Al-Akhbar
English</i> 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.</p>
<p>Alfa Omega Co., which has trading partners in France, Spain and
Greece, disclosed to <i>Al-Akhbar English</i> 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”.</p>
<p>The sales and marketing manager at Carmichael International
Service, a customs broker and freight forwarder with laminated
glass aboard Zim Piraeus, told <i>Al-Akhbar English</i> 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.</p>
<p>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 <i>Al-Akhbar English</i>
that they have put an immediate halt to “everything on Zim” and
will now be looking for other vessels they can use. </p>
<p>The most curious case in regards to Block the Boat is that of
American Metals and Chemicals, located in Hollywood, Florida. A
representative told <i>Al-Akhbar English</i> 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.</p>
<p>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 <i>Al-Akhbar English</i> 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 <i>specifically</i> 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.</p>
<p><i><b>Roqayah Chamseddine is a Sydney based Lebanese-American
journalist and commentator. She tweets <a
href="https://twitter.com/@roqchams" target="_new">@roqchams</a>
and writes '<a href="http://roqayah.co/" target="_new">Letters
From the Underground.</a>'</b></i></p>
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