According to the Danish shipping giant, Maersk will cut ties with businesses that are connected to the occupied West Bank’s illegal settlements.
Following months of intense pressure from Maersk activists regarding issues relating to Palestine, the decision was made.
As part of a global campaign led by the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), a grassroots organization, its shipments have been subject to scrutiny. PYM has also looked into the transportation of cargo from settlement-related businesses, focusing primarily on Maersk’s shipments of US military shipments.
We further strengthened our screening procedures in relation to Israeli settlements, including aligning our screening process with the OHCHR database of enterprises involved in activities in the settlements, according to a statement on the Maersk website from June 2025.
Businesses that support illegal settlements are included in the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) database, such as those who provide services, equipment, or other financial support to the illegal settlements.
Maersk pointed to the statement on the website of Al Jazeera when asked for more information about its decision. Which or how many businesses did Maersk have connections to?
In the occupied West Bank, about 500 000 settlers have resided in more than 100 settlements spread out throughout Israel. These settlements range from small outposts to larger communities with modern infrastructure, which are prohibited by international law.
The global shipping industry is being sent the clear message that upholding international law and fundamental human rights is not a choice. The world is watching to see who comes after them, according to PYM’s Aisha Nizar, and doing business with Israel’s illegal settlements is no longer feasible.
She argued that Maersk still transports materials for the Israeli military, including parts for its F-35 fighter jets, and called for additional action.
According to Nizar, “Maersk continues to profit from the genocide of our people by regularly shipping F-35 components to massacre and bomb Palestinians.” “We will continue to build up people’s support until Maersk breaks all ties to genocide and puts an end to the flow of weapons and its components to Israel,” Maersk said.
Spain forbade Maersk ships from entering Israel’s ports last year.
PYM made the revelation earlier this month that Maersk was using Rotterdam as a crucial component of a “supply chain of death.”
Rotterdam still participated in Israel’s F-35 program despite a Dutch court ruling that outlawed the Netherlands from exporting F-35 parts to it, according to the report.
In response to those findings, Maersk told Al Jazeera that it upholds a strict policy of not sending weapons or ammunition to active conflict areas, conducts due diligence, particularly in areas like Israel and Gaza, and adapts this due diligence to the changing circumstances.
Source: Aljazeera
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