Global Sumud Flotilla, Attacked in Tunisia, Now On Way to Gaza
After being attacked by a drone in Tunisia and then regrouping in Sicily, the Global Sumud (“resistance” or “steadfastness” in Arabic) Flotilla is once again on its way to Gaza.
It aims to break Israel’s murderous blockade of food, water, medicine and other goods, and deliver urgently needed humanitarian aid to Gaza, as well as call attention to Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people.
The flotilla has now grown to some 40 vessels and will soon be joined by a team of sailboats from Greece. At this writing, the flotilla is roughly 1,000 miles from Gaza.
The flotilla is made up of hundreds people from around the world, including prominent figures such as Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and Irish actor Liam Cunningham, a contingent of U.S. vets, and political figures from Europe and Africa.
The flotilla originally set out from Barcelona, Spain, on September 1 and arrived off the coast of Tunisia on September 7. The next day, the lead vessel with the group’s steering committee (including Thunberg) was attacked by a drone. “There was a huge explosion, lots of fire… We could have been killed,” one participant who witnessed the attack said.
Israel has a history of violently attacking such nonviolent humanitarian flotillas to bring aid to people in Gaza. A decade ago, Israel intercepted the Mavi Marmara and killed 10 people on board. Earlier this year, the Conscience, Madleen, and Handala, from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, were each stopped by Israel in international waters, and activists onboard were beaten, kidnapped, jailed, interrogated, and deported by Israel.
Now Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s fascist National Security Minister, has smeared the flotilla’s humanitarian activists as “terrorists.” Recently, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs labeled the flotilla “a jihadist initiative serving the terror group’s agenda.” (Foreign ministers from 16 countries have now called on Israel not to target the flotilla.)
All this underscores the urgency of broad, international support for this courageous action, paying close attention to its journey, and immediately protesting and speaking out against any Israeli attacks or efforts to stop their vital mission at this moment of escalating genocide in Gaza.
Follow the flotilla on Instagram: @globalsumudflotilla
Online: https://globalsumudflotilla.org/
12,000 Pack London Stadium for “Together for Palestine” Benefit Concert
On September 17, more than 12,000 people packed London’s Wembley Stadium for the Together for Palestine benefit concert, with another 200,000 watching online. The New York Times called it “the first arena concert to benefit Palestinians in Gaza.”
Organized by the British songwriter and musician Brian Eno and directed by Palestinian artist Malak Mattar, Together for Palestine was an evening of speeches, performances and solidarity aimed at breaking the silence about Israel’s atrocities in Gaza and raise money for the Palestinian people there.
It brought together some 69 actors, musicians, poets, speakers, and activists—including many Palestinians. Among those who spoke or performed: actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Florence Pugh, Riz Ahmed, Guy Pearce, and Ramy Youssef, and musicians Damon Albarn, PinkPantheress, and Saint Levant.
Florence Pugh spoke powerfully: “Silence in the face of such suffering is not neutrality. It is complicity. … Empathy should not be this hard and it should have never been this hard.”
Benedict Cumberbatch and playwright Amer Hlehel shared a reading of “On This Land There Are Reasons to Live” by Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish.
Some of the biggest applause was reportedly for Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, who has forcefully called out Israel’s genocide and been sanctioned by the fascist Trump regime for it. Her speech included a call to “disrupt, strike, boycott, speak.”
Organizers reported raising nearly two million pounds ($2.7 million). They said that “Every penny goes directly to Palestinian organizations operating on the ground in Gaza.”