Simon Hunter
THE Spanish government has denied permission for a cargo ship that was carrying explosive material destined for Israel to call at the southeastern port of Cartagena, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares confirmed on Thursday.
The Marianne Danica, which flies a Danish flag, had come from Madras, India, and was headed for the port of Haifa in Israel.
This marks the first time that the Spanish government has denied authorisation to a ship carrying arms for Israel, Albares explained from Brussels.
The vessel is reported to be carrying 26.8 tonnes of explosive weapons, according to Spanish press reports.
Albares stated that refusing permission for such a ship is consistent with Spain’s policy to ban any arms exports to Israel since war broke out in Gaza back in October, Reuters reported.
“We have detected this ship, we have refused to allow it to dock, and I can tell you that this will be a consistent policy with any ship carrying Israeli arms and arms cargo that wants to dock in Spanish ports,” the minister told journalists in Brussels.
Meanwhile, on Friday another ship, Borkum, decided not to make a stop in the same Spanish port, Cartagena, despite having permission to do so.
According to hard-left Spanish political parties Sumar and Podemos, the Borkum is also carrying arms destined for Israel.
After anchoring off the coast of Cartagena on Thursday, the Borkum set sail for Slovenia, suspending its port call in Spain.
Iñigo Errejon is the spokesperson in Congress for Sumar, the leftist alliance that is the junior coalition partner in the Socialist-led Spanish government. He celebrated the decision by the ship’s captain, claiming it vindicated the party’s claims.
“Victory! We were right,” he wrote via social media. “We expect an apology tomorrow. Social pressure works, standing up works. No complicity with genocide.”
Among European leaders, Spain’s Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has been one of the most outspoken critics of Israel’s response to the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas on October 7.
Spain, as well as Ireland and other EU member states, could be about to formally recognise the State of Palestine. According to the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, this could happen as early as May 21.
