Defying Israel
An aid organization does what no government has dared
The group Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), alongside Greta Thunberg and other activists, is doing what no government has dared to do - attempting to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza by sea. Their boat, the Madleen, could arrive in Gaza’s territorial waters by Sunday (8 June), however, Israel has vowed to intercept it. As par for the course, Israel has labeled the act of delivering aid to Gaza as “antisemitic”, a term that is quickly losing its sobering meaning due to the Israeli government’s rampant use of it to describe any criticism of their actions.
According to Huwaida Arraf, a human rights attorney and Freedom Flotilla Steering Committee member, Israel lacks the legal authority to implement a naval blockade on Gaza, and therefore, has no right to intercept the Madleen. Israel has no issue defying international law, as is evident in their expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, so it is likely that they will violate this provision of international law and seize the Madleen. Their only other option, other than allowing the vessel to travel to Gaza unimpeded, would be to attack it - an action that one would think would surely garner widespread condemnation and further isolate Israel. Firing on an unarmed civilian vessel loaded with aid is not a good look, although according to the FFC Israel recently attacked another vessel of theirs (the Conscience) with drones while off the coast of Malta. There was no widespread international condemnation for this alleged attack.
It is unclear what exactly the Freedom Flotilla Coalition intends to do if/when they successfully reach Gaza. Their vessel is carrying aid supplies such as baby formula, flour, rice, diapers, women’s sanitary products, water desalination kits, medical supplies, crutches, and children’s prosthetics. Once in Gaza, these much-needed supplies will need to be safely distributed among the population - no easy feat in an active war zone.
Regardless of how this situation resolves, it is commendable to see activists do what no nation has yet dared to do. While many countries speak about the grave conditions that Palestinians face in Gaza, none have been willing to take any risks at all in order to reduce suffering. Caspar Veldkamp, the Dutch foreign minister, for example, recently stated that he believes that Israel is violating the terms of an EU-Israel cooperation agreement by committing human rights violations. In response, the EU has agreed to open an investigation into Israel’s conduct in Gaza. Rather than impose any sanctions on Israel, or suspend trade agreements, Veldkamp stated that simply opening the investigation was good enough and that they will await the results of the investigation, which could take months, before doing anything else.
If Veldkamp truly believes that the people in Gaza are at acute risk of famine or death, his response is unacceptable and pathetic.