The Freedom Flotilla Coalition

A civilian mission to bring aid to Gaza

In this week’s newsletter, something I think you should know about and a couple of reading recommendations. -JRS

If you’re the praying type, perhaps you can spare a thought for the members of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, who aim to sail from Istanbul to Gaza in the coming days. Their plan: To break the siege and transport food, water and medical aid to the Strip. The flotilla comprises one cargo vessel with 5,500 tonnes of supplies and several passenger ships with some 1,000 participants from over 30 countries.

To give you an idea of the diversity of people involved, they include, for example: a truck driver from Ireland, a British-Palestinian journalist, a member of the Spanish parliament, a translator and filmmaker from Canada, a human rights activist from South Africa, a medical doctor from Malaysia, and a Vietnam veteran from the US. The coalition itself is made up of a dozen civil-society organizations and initiatives, among them Canadian Boat to Gaza, Freedom Flotilla Italia, My Care Malaysia, Kia Ora Gaza (New Zealand), Ship to Gaza Norway, and Rumbo a Gaza (Spain).

Reporting on the flotilla has been sparse in North America, outside of a few independent outlets; this is a shame for numerous reasons, the main one being that the mission depends on widespread press coverage for its safety – but also because there are numerous Canadian and American citizens involved. It’s a story, in other words.

There’s also a history here, as this is not the first such voyage. In 2008, two boats with a total of 44 passengers reached Gaza; over the next eight years, 31 boats made similar attempts, of which five were successful. The most well-known and consequential mission took place in 2010, when the Mavi Marmara sailed for the Strip with 600 activists, politicians and doctors. That voyage ended when Israeli soldiers raided the ship in international waters, killing eight Turkish nationals and one American-Turkish national. (Another passenger later died from their injuries.) 

A diplomatic crisis between Israel and Turkey followed; according to the Times of Israel, the situation resolved in 2016, when “Jerusalem agreed to pay $20 million in compensation to the families of the victims and to allow Turkish aid into Gaza – and in return, Istanbul agreed not to hold any individual Israeli nationals criminally or financially liable for the incident.”

You can understand, then, how the stakes – and the tension – run high for this year’s mission. At a press conference¹ in Istanbul yesterday, however, coalition representatives appeared confident and determined. Huwaida Arraf, an American human-rights lawyer and activist who has participated in every voyage since 2008, stated: “As Israel’s siege is illegal, any attempt by Israel to attack our flotilla, or to otherwise intercept or stop our ships, will be unlawful. Our governments have thus far done nothing, but we call on them to start now.”

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition has created a resource page for anyone interested in helping them and following their mission here.

Other reading

Anti-Palestinian Racism in Canada, CJPME
This 2022 report from Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East explores anti-Palestinian racism (APR) in this country – which is vital, I’d argue, to understanding Canada’s position vis-à-vis Israel and Palestine. Executive summary here.

Canadian charity says aid truck bombed in Gaza in “targeted” attack, CBC
This week the IDF bombed a water truck run by International Development and Relief Foundation, a Toronto-based non-profit.

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