French lawmaker calls for blocking military shipment bound for Israel

French lawmaker Thomas Portes on Thursday called for blocking a military shipment bound for Israel from Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, according to French media reports. “France is complicit in genocide,” Portes, a member of the La France Insoumise (LFI) party, wrote on US social media company X. He claimed that a military shipment was preparing to depart from the airport in Roissy-en-France. “This plane of shame must be grounded,” he said, thanking trade unions and the Urgence Palestine collective for raising the alert and mobilizing against the shipment.

French newspaper L’Humanite reported Wednesday that aircraft components manufactured in France were due to be transported to Tel Aviv on Thursday for delivery to Israeli defense company Elbit Systems. In a statement Thursday, the Action Securite Ethique Republicaines (ASER) association also relayed the alert, citing Urgence Palestine, the Palestinian Youth Movement and People’s Embargo for Palestine. ASER said the components were manufactured by Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse and destined for Elbit Systems’ subsidiary Elisra, which specializes in electronic warfare and signals intelligence.

The association said the shipment was scheduled to be carried on an El Al flight departing at 3.35 pm local time (1435GMT). Several labor organizations, including CGT 93, SUD Aerien and Solidaires 93, called on airport workers to block the shipment, according to ASER.