By now, most – if not all – of the approximately 460 volunteers of the Global Sumud Flotilla have been released by their Israeli captors, who illegally abducted them from international waters off the Gaza coast.
Many of them were reportedly subjected to inhumane treatment during detention. Israel insisted the flotilla was associated with Hamas, and hence the mistreatment. But then, as far as Israel is concerned, Hamas lurks anywhere and everywhere.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which sailed on the heels of the Global Sumud Flotilla, was also attacked and intercepted by the Zionist regime in international waters.
One of the vessels in the mission, aptly called Conscience, carried 93 journalists, doctors and activists from 25 countries with the aim of aiding the starving hospitals of Gaza and keeping the world’s attention on this besieged strip.
The Sumud flotilla volunteers, representing more than 44 countries, were aware that their mission to break the illegal Israeli blockade on Gaza risked various challenges. They were mindful of past flotilla expeditions that bore witness to vessels being attacked and bombed and a number of crew members murdered.
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This is apart from the Sumud flotilla facing problems associated with using some boats that were old, supposedly sabotaged or not well-equipped for a long haul on high seas.
Yet, true to the name of their mission, Sumud (Arabic for steadfastness or persistence), the crew members soldiered on, clinging to hope for a free Palestine and bolstered by grit, compassion, empathy and a sense of justice, and guided by a moral compass.
Despite the anticipated risks, they braved the choppy waters and brought along with them food, baby formula, medicine and other necessities – things which the Palestinians in Gaza have been deprived of for two years of genocide and lately, mass starvation.
For these volunteers and their supporters, Israel has crossed many red lines every time it acted with impunity. This, obviously, has evoked moral outrage among those who are against the Zionist regime’s crimes against humanity.
The horrible plight of the people of Palestine has tugged at the heartstrings of many people around the world – so much so some of them were moved to sign up for the Gaza mission.
Pro-Palestine supporters, particularly those in the West, have taken to the streets to protest against Israel and their respective governments’ complicity and political inertia. Many, such as those in London and Berlin, even faced mass arrests for merely exercising their right to free speech and dissent.
But, like some quarters in other parts of the world, there are detractors among some observers in Malaysia – as manifested in their negative comments on social media and news portals pertaining to the flotilla.
After the interception by the Zionist regime, Malaysian sceptics dismissed this noble flotilla effort as a total failure, and hence a waste of human and material resources.
Others argued that it’s foolish to “transgress” a purported combat zone of Israel – a West Asian entity perceived to be instrumental in protecting so-called vital Western values and civilisation.
A few keyboard warriors even characterised the flotilla volunteers from Malaysia as “troublemakers” for what they considered to be their foolishness in daring to ‘break Israeli laws’.
Certain critics also tended to parrot the Zionist mantra: Hamas, which is holding Israeli hostages, is to be blamed for the mess it created on 7 October 2023.
While we shouldn’t attempt to brush aside the atrocities committed by Hamas on that fateful day, it is however vital for us to also consider the historical backdrop to the Hamas assault on southern Israel – that is, the Israeli ethnic cleansing, displacement, occupation, apartheid, oppression and killing that have spanned over more than seven decades. In short, 7 October is not when the history of the bloody carnage began.
What could also be hurtful to the flotilla volunteers and their loved ones was the remark that the flotilla crew were exploiting the Palestinian plight only to gain short-lived fame.
To be sure, these are people who left behind their young children, loving spouses, old parents and the comfort of their homes. Some of them might have taken no-pay leave. One participant from Malaysia even sold his car to set sail to Gaza. And let’s not forget, they all put their necks on the line.
Such were the sacrifices made by the volunteers who saw the utmost importance of being in solidarity with the people of Palestine – people whose sufferings, humiliation and slaughter have been ignored by many in the world, particularly Western leaders and their legacy media who are complicit with Israel.
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and her flotilla comrades are aware that the people of Palestine must not be politically, culturally and militarily erased as a people. These activists and volunteers know that Palestinian existence is a form of resistance to Zionist oppression and its settler-colonial project.
In many ways, Palestine holds a mirror to the rest of the world. Its political and moral significance should not escape us, including those of us in Malaysia.
For one thing, the compassion and moral outrage expressed over the genocide and sufferings of the people of Palestine cut through the lines of ethnicity, religion, culture, social class and nationality – and rightly so.
Their plight has deeply touched many ordinary people across the globe –including teachers, students, activists, dock workers, actors, artists, singers, politicians, doctors, academics, journalists, retirees and former army officers.
These flotillas are a manifestation of people power in the shadow of governments that have failed their moral obligations.
Equally important, the sense of shared humanity on display in these flotillas serves as a vital reminder that all lives matter. People who care for the oppressed and the discriminated should be blind to ethnic and religious biases.
After all, we as human beings seek happiness, peace and hope, and we can feel the pain and shattered dreams beyond our borders.
Justice is one principle that drives many ordinary people to be concerned about and care for the people of Palestine. For decades, the Palestinians have been subjected to racial discrimination and human rights violations under an apartheid system and military occupation.
Injustice prevails when the occupying forces in Palestinian territories act with impunity, especially when they are accorded political and diplomatic cover by their Western allies.
Human rights and accountability, much lectured about by Western powers to an audience in the Global South, have been thrown out of the window. The double standards are glaring in these powers’ relentless pursuit of and support for this settler-colonial project in Palestine.
The principles of justice and accountability must prevail in any social context. These principles are all the more crucial in a context where divisive, exploitative and repressive forces exist.
The resilience (sumud) of the people of Palestine, despite having to pay a heavy price for freedom and dignity, should inspire other ordinary people around the world. It gives us reason to hope that change for the better will eventually emerge from this blood-soaked land now under the rubble of a devastating genocide.
Mustafa K Anuar
Co-editor, Aliran newsletter
12 October 2025
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