n April 20, 2025, approximately 1,500 protesters gathered in Tangier, Morocco, to oppose the anticipated docking of the Maersk Detroit, a cargo ship alleged to be transporting F-35 fighter jet parts from the United States to Israel. The demonstration, organized by dockworkers and pro-Palestinian groups, featured chants such as “The people want the ship banned” and “No genocidal weapons in Moroccan waters” as participants marched near the Tanger Med container port.
The protesters’ concerns were fueled by reports indicating that the cargo originated from the U.S. Air Force Plant 4 in Fort Worth and was en route to Israel’s Haifa port, with a planned transfer at Tangier Med port to another Maersk vessel, the Maersk Nexoe. Activists, including Sion Assidon of Morocco’s Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, criticized the Moroccan government for not addressing their warnings about the shipment.
Maersk ship has denied transporting weapons or ammunition to Israel, stating that while it holds contracts with the U.S. government involving military-related equipment under U.S.-Israeli security cooperation, this specific shipment was not destined for Israel. Inspections of the Maersk Nexoe’s cargo by Moroccan authorities reportedly found no weapons or jet parts aboard.
The protest in Tangier is part of a broader wave of demonstrations in Morocco since the onset of the Israel-Gaza conflict in October 2023, with citizens calling for the severance of diplomatic ties with Israel, which were normalized in 2020 under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords.
