Israel Seizes Scottish Fire Engine Gifted To Palestinians

 

 

A fire engine donated by Scottish firefighters to their Palestinian counterparts in Nablus has been seized by Israeli authorities — despite having full clearance — and may now be sent back to the UK, The Guardian reported.

 

The truck, packed with medical gear and protective equipment, was sent to the occupied West Bank 15 months ago after being refitted and approved for export. But Israeli customs impounded it at the Port of Ashdod in July 2024, demanding more than $21,000 in storage fees and claiming it must be converted from right-hand to left-hand drive before being released.

 

Scottish and Palestinian firefighters say this is nonsense — a similar vehicle was allowed in 2011 after modification — and accuse Israel of cruelly obstructing humanitarian aid. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has launched protests outside the Israeli embassy in London, delivered letters to diplomats, and even secured 35 parliamentary signatures backing an early day motion calling for its release.

 

FBU leader Matt Wrack condemned the seizure as “appalling,” saying: “Firefighters in Palestine are working to save lives in horrifying conditions. It is disgraceful that life-saving equipment donated by our members is being held by Israeli customs.”

 

The UK’s Foreign Office confirmed it has raised the issue directly with Israel, urging the government to open humanitarian crossings and let aid reach Palestinians “at the pace and scale that is necessary.”

 

The fire truck — filled with PPE, cutting tools, breathing kits, and hospital-donated supplies — symbolises a decades-long bond between firefighters in Dundee and Nablus, twinned cities since 1980. More than 100 Palestinian firefighters have trained in Scotland, but now, their most valuable lifeline is gathering dust behind Israeli fences.

Key Takeaways:

 

• Israel impounded a donated Scottish fire engine bound for Nablus, demanding costly fees.

• The Fire Brigades Union has protested and petitioned for its release.

• The UK government has pressed Israel to let humanitarian aid flow freely.

 

Source: Middle East Eye

Ok, Israel is very bad for not waiving regulatory compliance and taxes that apply to  everyone. Let's point a collective finger and pee on israel. Happy now?

 

 The Israeli position on foreign vehicle imports is any different than what  would apply in Scotland if a North American vehicle was imported.

 

- Vehicle would have to be certified to be compliant with safety and environmental standards of Scotland.

- Left-hand-drive North American vehicles  would need modifications to meet  driving standards in Scotland.

- Scottish authorities would require  immediate notification of the vehicle's arrival and place of garaging. Vehicle would need to be held at a bonded  location until regulatory compliance was satisfied.

- All taxes, duties, tariffs and charges would have to be paid. The charges assessed rely on the vehicle's value (including shipping and insurance),

- The vehicle would have to be certified as road worthy for use on Scottish roads.

- Compliance filings including  an import declaration through the CHIEF system and a formal registration with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) would be required.

- Vehicle use insurance  would be required  for registration and driving of vehicle

 

What I see here is a demand that Israeli not follow the same rules that the Scottish and UK governments would apply for the import of a fire truck into Scotland. It is expected that all taxes, duties and other charges  should be waived and that  the vehicle should not have to comply with any safety  regulations.

For reference sake, vehicles imported into israel  for use by Israeli  public safety agencies must follow the same regulations as the. vehicle being imported from Scotland.

How to win even more friends and influence even more people, the Israeli way.

 

Israel is in serious need of friends and respect, so they do crap like this.

22 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

Ok, Israel is very bad for not waiving regulatory compliance and taxes that apply to  everyone. Let's point a collective finger and pee on israel. Happy now?

 

 The Israeli position on foreign vehicle imports is any different than what  would apply in Scotland if a North American vehicle was imported.

 

- Vehicle would have to be certified to be compliant with safety and environmental standards of Scotland.

- Left-hand-drive North American vehicles  would need modifications to meet  driving standards in Scotland.

- Scottish authorities would require  immediate notification of the vehicle's arrival and place of garaging. Vehicle would need to be held at a bonded  location until regulatory compliance was satisfied.

- All taxes, duties, tariffs and charges would have to be paid. The charges assessed rely on the vehicle's value (including shipping and insurance),

- The vehicle would have to be certified as road worthy for use on Scottish roads.

- Compliance filings including  an import declaration through the CHIEF system and a formal registration with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) would be required.

- Vehicle use insurance  would be required  for registration and driving of vehicle

 

What I see here is a demand that Israeli not follow the same rules that the Scottish and UK governments would apply for the import of a fire truck into Scotland. It is expected that all taxes, duties and other charges  should be waived and that  the vehicle should not have to comply with any safety  regulations.

For reference sake, vehicles imported into israel  for use by Israeli  public safety agencies must follow the same regulations as the. vehicle being imported from Scotland.

 

The fire engine was being shipped to and is intended for Nablus in the West Bank Palestine not Israel. It should be treated as a trans-shipment.

 

The West Bank does not belong to Israel even though Israel is trying to steal it.

 

"When goods arrive at a port in one country that is not their final destination, they undergo a process called 

transshipment. During this process, the goods remain under customs supervision but are not officially imported into the transit country. Instead, they are moved under a customs transit procedure that suspends duties and taxes until they reach their final destination." 

1 hour ago, Bannoi said:

 

The fire engine was being shipped to and is intended for Nablus in the West Bank Palestine not Israel. It should be treated as a trans-shipment.

 

The West Bank does not belong to Israel even though Israel is trying to steal it.

 

"When goods arrive at a port in one country that is not their final destination, they undergo a process called 

transshipment. During this process, the goods remain under customs supervision but are not officially imported into the transit country. Instead, they are moved under a customs transit procedure that suspends duties and taxes until they reach their final destination." 

 

As a matter of reference, tover the past 2 years, the PA has received shipments of police vehicles, emergency service vehicles and armoured vehicles from  the EU, South Korea and the USA without problems.

 

The issue here is the outstanding payment of Port fees related to the landing of the cargo and the. shipment onwards to Nablus. Why do you expect the Port to  handle the cargo for free? It doesn't do it for  similar vehicles for Israel, so why should it do it for   the PA?  Would a port in Scotland unload cargo and cover the shipping costs onward for a Scottish  town?

 

BTW, the West Bank is not an independent nation. It is still subject to Israeli laws. If and when the west Bank becomes a nation and has actual laws in place, then yes you can make your argument, The reality is that the vehicle arrived in  an Israeli port and was to be driven from the port to the PA.  Now tell me what  would happen if I landed a vehicle in England with the intention of driving it to  Scotland. Do you think that that would be allowed? How about if the vehicle goes to the USA via Canada?

I know you are looking for an excuse to pee all over Israel, but I suggest you look at how other vehicle transfers are handled and how cargo fees are charged.

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

How to win even more friends and influence even more people, the Israeli way.

 

Israel is in serious need of friends and respect, so they do crap like this.

 

What did they do that was wrong? Do the ports in your country unload cargo without charge, i.e. work for free?

Do vehicles  arrive from foreign destinations and drive from the Port to their destination without inspection, or paying the transfer fees and applicable taxes?

Why is it this  truck has an issue, but the.  vehciles shipped over the past 2 years do not?

On any given day of the week, vehicles land in Israel and are shipped into the PA without a problem. The recent shipment of  Mercedes vehicles for the PA didn't have a problem, but this vehicle does. Why do you expect the Port of Ashdod to not be paid for the unloading and storage of cargo?

4 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

BTW, the West Bank is not an independent nation. It is still subject to Israeli laws. If and when the west Bank becomes a nation and has actual laws in place, then yes you can make your argument, The reality is that the vehicle arrived in  an Israeli port and was to be driven from the port to the PA.  Now tell me what  would happen if I landed a vehicle in England with the intention of driving it to  Scotland. Do you think that that would be allowed? How about if the vehicle goes to the USA via Canada?

I know you are looking for an excuse to pee all over Israel, but I suggest you look at how other vehicle transfers are handled and how cargo fees are charged.

 

For your information I am not looking for an excuse to "pee all over Israel" (your words not mine) in fact I visited Israel once when I was stationed in Cyprus many years ago.

 

I don’t know if you are an Israeli or Jewish and its none of my business nor does it matter but for some reason you feel that I want to pee all over Israel (your words not mine) so I will try to explain how I see it and I expect quite a few others as well.

 

Perhaps you should ask yourself why you feel people want to pee all over Israel (again your words not mine)

could it be that Israel appears to consider itself and its citizens superior to anyone else and feels it has the right to do anything it wants, attack any country it pleases because its militarily superior or steal other peoples land and treat its inhabitants as second class inferior beings with no rights at all.

 

I don’t see anyone disagreeing that Hamas is an evil terrorist organisation that should be eliminated and destroyed and Israel should be supported in doing just that.

 

But that does not give Israel the right to slaughter or starve tens of thousands of innocent people men women and children in the process as they have been doing in Gaza.

 

To destroy a building hospital school or any building with possibly hundreds of innocent people in it just because there may be one or even a few Hamas terrorists in it is not acceptable to most people. 

 

Is it that the Israeli army are such cowards or afraid of the terrorists that they cant go in and arrest or kill the terrorists or is it they consider that the innocent civilians are only Palestinians so their lives aren’t worth anything and don’t matter.

 

Israel's military occupation of the West Bank is illegal and in contravention of international law. It should in no way whatsoever be subject to Israeli laws and all Israeli settlers should be expelled from the West Bank.

 

A lot if not most Israeli settlers carry guns some even provided by the IDF and are backed by the Israeli military, there is no doubt they use them to intimidate the Palestinians. According to the United Nations 1001 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since 7 October 2023 – one in five are children.

 

There is even a two tier justice system in the West Bank Israeli settlers are subject to civil law whereas the Palestinians are subject to Military law. 

 

The West Bank is not part of Israel however much you may want it to be as affirmed by the International Court of Justice, even the Israeli Supreme Court recognises the status of the West Bank as a militarily occupied territory and the United Nations Security Council has repeatedly affirmed that Israeli settlements in that territory are a "flagrant violation of international law".

 

Palestine is recognised by 4 out of the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council, which are China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom, leaving the United States as the only permanent member not to recognise Palestine.

 

The State of Palestine is also recognised by 157 nations as of September 2025 (most of the world) but not by Israel or the USA.

 

Im sure Israel would love to incorporate both the West Bank and Gaza into a greater Israel and expel all the Palestinians but being realistic that is not going to happen and the only reason Israel can continue to act as it does is because the USA is backing them but the world turns things change and that may not always be so.

 

Israel has a right to exist and defend itself but so do the Palestinians have a right to exist both sides have to come together and agree a solution thats acceptable to both parties perhaps it could even mean completely redrawing the boundaries of Israel and Palestine. 

 

Continually fighting each other or one side trying to impose its will on the other is doomed to fail and could very well see the rise of something even worse that Hamas.

 

If there is to be lasting peace a solution has to be found that both sides can live with, there are always two sides in any conflict understanding each other and trying to accommodate each other is a first step.

 

I am not anti Jewish nor anti Israel but I do feel Israel does needs reigning in.

 

I very much doubt anything I say will change your mind but perhaps it will explain why the majority of the world is now increasingly beginning to see Israel as a rogue state.

 

11 hours ago, Bannoi said:

 

For your information I am not looking for an excuse to "pee all over Israel" (your words not mine) in fact I visited Israel once when I was stationed in Cyprus many years ago.

 

I don’t know if you are an Israeli or Jewish and its none of my business nor does it matter but for some reason you feel that I want to pee all over Israel (your words not mine) so I will try to explain how I see it and I expect quite a few others as well.

 

Perhaps you should ask yourself why you feel people want to pee all over Israel (again your words not mine)

could it be that Israel appears to consider itself and its citizens superior to anyone else and feels it has the right to do anything it wants, attack any country it pleases because its militarily superior or steal other peoples land and treat its inhabitants as second class inferior beings with no rights at all.

 

I don’t see anyone disagreeing that Hamas is an evil terrorist organisation that should be eliminated and destroyed and Israel should be supported in doing just that.

 

But that does not give Israel the right to slaughter or starve tens of thousands of innocent people men women and children in the process as they have been doing in Gaza.

 

To destroy a building hospital school or any building with possibly hundreds of innocent people in it just because there may be one or even a few Hamas terrorists in it is not acceptable to most people. 

 

Is it that the Israeli army are such cowards or afraid of the terrorists that they cant go in and arrest or kill the terrorists or is it they consider that the innocent civilians are only Palestinians so their lives aren’t worth anything and don’t matter.

 

Israel's military occupation of the West Bank is illegal and in contravention of international law. It should in no way whatsoever be subject to Israeli laws and all Israeli settlers should be expelled from the West Bank.

 

A lot if not most Israeli settlers carry guns some even provided by the IDF and are backed by the Israeli military, there is no doubt they use them to intimidate the Palestinians. According to the United Nations 1001 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since 7 October 2023 – one in five are children.

 

There is even a two tier justice system in the West Bank Israeli settlers are subject to civil law whereas the Palestinians are subject to Military law. 

 

The West Bank is not part of Israel however much you may want it to be as affirmed by the International Court of Justice, even the Israeli Supreme Court recognises the status of the West Bank as a militarily occupied territory and the United Nations Security Council has repeatedly affirmed that Israeli settlements in that territory are a "flagrant violation of international law".

 

Palestine is recognised by 4 out of the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council, which are China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom, leaving the United States as the only permanent member not to recognise Palestine.

 

The State of Palestine is also recognised by 157 nations as of September 2025 (most of the world) but not by Israel or the USA.

 

Im sure Israel would love to incorporate both the West Bank and Gaza into a greater Israel and expel all the Palestinians but being realistic that is not going to happen and the only reason Israel can continue to act as it does is because the USA is backing them but the world turns things change and that may not always be so.

 

Israel has a right to exist and defend itself but so do the Palestinians have a right to exist both sides have to come together and agree a solution thats acceptable to both parties perhaps it could even mean completely redrawing the boundaries of Israel and Palestine. 

 

Continually fighting each other or one side trying to impose its will on the other is doomed to fail and could very well see the rise of something even worse that Hamas.

 

If there is to be lasting peace a solution has to be found that both sides can live with, there are always two sides in any conflict understanding each other and trying to accommodate each other is a first step.

 

I am not anti Jewish nor anti Israel but I do feel Israel does needs reigning in.

 

I very much doubt anything I say will change your mind but perhaps it will explain why the majority of the world is now increasingly beginning to see Israel as a rogue state.

 

OK, aside from peeing all over Israel and assuming I am an Israeli, or one of those pesky juden, you have failed to answer why the Israeli Port of Ashdod should unload  and warehouse the vehicle without charge, while other Palestinian Authority and Israeli vehicles do not demand waivers of Port fees or  regulatory fees.. Did you know that the PA took delivery of multiple vehicles during the  past year and they all managed to comply with  entry requirements and they all had their cargo fees paid. Prior to the arrival of the fire truck, the Palestinian Authority took delivery of US donated armoured vehicles for its security  forces, without an issue. This incident makes for a wonder fulPR opportunity and allows people like you to come and pee all over the Israelis.

 

 

If the Scottish firefighters were genuine in wanting to deliver a functioning vehicle, they would have ensured the vehicle was in compliance before they shipped it.  This is where virtue signalling meets reality. 

The issue seems to be what is behind this line

"But Israeli customs impounded it at the Port of Ashdod in July 2024, demanding more than $21,000 in storage fees"

Why was it impounded, and did Israeli customs have the right to do so? Is the storage fee due to the impounding?

 

Hate speech post removed @KhaoHom

14 hours ago, Bannoi said:

 

To destroy a building hospital school or any building with possibly hundreds of innocent people in it just because there may be one or even a few Hamas terrorists in it is not acceptable to most people. 

This argument fails when it becomes evident that such infrastructure was constructed to and is used to shield significant Hamas military activity, including command centres, weapon stores, prisoner (hostage) holding and in some cases launch sites for rockets. It was far more than just a case of one or a few Hamas terrorists hiding in it. This infrastructure was central to a war which they had long planned and ultimately launched. They planned, banked on, and were right, that the Israelis would show considerable restraint in engaging Hamas in and around such places.

14 hours ago, Bannoi said:

Palestine is recognised by 4 out of the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council,

 

Where is it then? Muslims have 55 countries and about 98% of the middle east, why do they need another? It's all about destroying Israel, if they wanted a Palestine they had 5 chances to get one, but always say no in the end.

16 minutes ago, JAG said:

This argument fails when it becomes evident that such infrastructure was constructed to and is used to shield significant Hamas military activity, including command centres, weapon stores, prisoner (hostage) holding and in some cases launch sites for rockets. It was far more than just a case of one or a few Hamas terrorists hiding in it. This infrastructure was central to a war which they had long planned and ultimately launched. They planned, banked on, and were right, that the Israelis would show considerable restraint in engaging Hamas in and around such places.

Israeli propaganda hogwash.

3 hours ago, Gsxrnz said:

If the Scottish firefighters were genuine in wanting to deliver a functioning vehicle, they would have ensured the vehicle was in compliance before they shipped it.  This is where virtue signalling meets reality. 

NO it isn't.

 

That is actually where stupidity meets reality.

 

Stupidity being Israeli Customs.

2 hours ago, KhaoHom said:

 

Well stated 

 

The plan is Greater Israel. US was forced into every ME war at their behest. How many countries now? Quatar Lebanon Egypt Syria Iran Yemen and vassal state of Jordan. 

 

I'm all for Greater Israel. Let's clear the way and then every Jew in the world can go live there after cancelling passports and citizenship around the world. Freeze all trade and travel with the nation. 

 

 

Israelis like Miriam Adelson are to blame.

 

Trump salutes mega donor Miriam Adelson for help shaping US decisions on Israel

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-salutes-mega-donor-miriam-adelson-help-shaping-us-decisions-israel-2025-10-13/

 

Seems like the Jock's little virtue signalling publicity stunt has backfired.

 

Who gave them the right to donate machinery paid for by the British taxpayer to a foreign terrorist run "state" in the first place?

 

They should concentrate on dragging hoses not interfering in foreign conflicts.

2 hours ago, proton said:

 

Where is it then? Muslims have 55 countries and about 98% of the middle east, why do they need another? It's all about destroying Israel, if they wanted a Palestine they had 5 chances to get one, but always say no in the end.

Conflates Palestinians with every Muslim

on the planet while ridiculously claiming it’s ’all about destroying Israel’ in the same sentence as denying the Palestinian state.

 

51 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Seems like the Jock's little virtue signalling publicity stunt has backfired.

 

Who gave them the right to donate machinery paid for by the British taxpayer to a foreign terrorist run "state" in the first place?

 

They should concentrate on dragging hoses not interfering in foreign conflicts.

There are three nations referenced in this news item, you choose to refer to the Scottish by the offensive term ‘’Jocks”

 

Should we, I wonder, refer to the citizens of each of the other two nations by offensive terms to see at which point it ‘kicks off’.

 

 

4 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

There are three nations referenced in this news item, you choose to refer to the Scottish by the offensive term ‘’Jocks”

 

Should we, I wonder, refer to the citizens of each of the other two nations by offensive terms to see at which point it ‘kicks off’.

 

 

 

A jock typically refers to someone athletic and/or interesting in team building activities. Not really offensive even to a pearl clutcher.

 

Let me know when you stop using terms like Gammon and I will consider taking your complaint slightly more seriously. 

23 hours ago, billd766 said:

How to win even more friends and influence even more people, the Israeli way.

 

Israel is in serious need of friends and respect, so they do crap like this.

One thing for sure, Israel don't need friend like you or anyone who hate it, so rest assure,

Israel will do very well with the kind of friend you suggest. we didn't last thousands of years

with false friend and we will last thousands more just to spite the haters.

1 hour ago, JimCM said:

Israelis like Miriam Adelson are to blame.

 

Trump salutes mega donor Miriam Adelson for help shaping US decisions on Israel

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-salutes-mega-donor-miriam-adelson-help-shaping-us-decisions-israel-2025-10-13/

 

It's amazing how much foreign (Israeli) political influence $100 million dollars can buy in the United States. Adelson essentially controls the Administrative branch of the US government.

22 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

A jock typically refers to someone athletic and/or interesting in team building activities. Not really offensive even to a pearl clutcher.

 

Let me know when you stop using terms like Gammon and I will consider taking your complaint slightly more seriously. 

No need to introduce a forth nation into the mix Jonny.

2 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

No need to introduce a forth nation into the mix Jonny.

 

Or even a fourth. 

 

You may go forth though. 

Whatever Israel does is part of its survival strategy. Like it or not.

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

 

Or even a fourth. 

 

You may go forth though. 

You’ve at last found a purpose in life, Jonny.

 

Spell checking.

1 hour ago, Hellfire said:

Whatever Israel does is part of its survival strategy. Like it or not.

Alienating support for Israel helps how?

39 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Alienating support for Israel helps how?

Again, it is a matter of life or death. If getting outside support means annihilation of your own people, then that support can -  and should - be ignored.

1 hour ago, Hellfire said:

Again, it is a matter of life or death. If getting outside support means annihilation of your own people, then that support can -  and should - be ignored.

Without outside support Israel is not a viable state.

 

 

On 10/26/2025 at 11:51 AM, Patong2021 said:

Ok, Israel is very bad for not waiving regulatory compliance and taxes that apply to  everyone. Let's point a collective finger and pee on israel. Happy now?

 

 The Israeli position on foreign vehicle imports is any different than what  would apply in Scotland if a North American vehicle was imported.

 

- Vehicle would have to be certified to be compliant with safety and environmental standards of Scotland.

- Left-hand-drive North American vehicles  would need modifications to meet  driving standards in Scotland.

- Scottish authorities would require  immediate notification of the vehicle's arrival and place of garaging. Vehicle would need to be held at a bonded  location until regulatory compliance was satisfied.

- All taxes, duties, tariffs and charges would have to be paid. The charges assessed rely on the vehicle's value (including shipping and insurance),

- The vehicle would have to be certified as road worthy for use on Scottish roads.

- Compliance filings including  an import declaration through the CHIEF system and a formal registration with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) would be required.

- Vehicle use insurance  would be required  for registration and driving of vehicle

 

What I see here is a demand that Israeli not follow the same rules that the Scottish and UK governments would apply for the import of a fire truck into Scotland. It is expected that all taxes, duties and other charges  should be waived and that  the vehicle should not have to comply with any safety  regulations.

For reference sake, vehicles imported into israel  for use by Israeli  public safety agencies must follow the same regulations as the. vehicle being imported from Scotland.

FFS, that's your argument around humanitarian aid of no use to Hamas?!? Pitiful...