Created in 2010, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) is a global grassroots solidarity motion working to finish the Israeli blockade of Gaza. Their new mission – to ship 5,500 tons of humanitarian support to the individuals of Gaza – has been quickly halted after Guinea Bissau determined to take away its flag from two vessels on 24 April 2024. The flotilla had been set to sail from Turkey in the direction of Gaza.
Throughout a earlier FFC mission in 2010, ten individuals have been killed following an intervention by Israeli armed forces. This time, a number of hundred individuals from round thirty totally different nations are collaborating within the mission, together with Belgian activist Rosy. A member of the No Border motion, opposing the existence of borders and advocating for freedom of motion, she analyses the quite a few hyperlinks between the state of affairs in Palestine and that on the borders of the European Union. Rosy didn’t want to disclose her full title in order to not compromise her security.
Francesca Spinelli: Might you inform us about your activist background and what encounters or experiences led you to participate within the FFC mission?
I’ve been an activist on the difficulty of borders and migration for years, primarily in Belgium, but in addition at varied borders in Europe, together with Greece and Bosnia. I’m additionally concerned in a marketing campaign launched just a few years in the past, Abolish Frontex, which brings collectively many various actions. Extra lately, I’ve been within the Mediterranean Sea by means of rescue NGOs. It was by means of this latter community, which connects activism and work at sea, that I heard in regards to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition mission. It made lots of sense for me to take part on this operation, not solely as a result of the ocean will also be a method of liberation and political motion, however as a result of I wished to attach the battle towards state borders and violence at European borders to the battle in help of the Palestinian individuals.
Francesca Spinelli: There are lots of similarities between what is occurring in Palestine and the state of affairs on the EU’s exterior borders. Let’s begin with essentially the most seen side: violence.
The violence perpetrated by sure states towards sure classes of civilians – Palestinians on one hand, and migrants on the opposite – is more and more excessive, and these states are more and more taking full accountability for it. The narrative may be very related: dehumanising the opposite, normalising hate speech, all to justify violence. A binary imaginative and prescient is created: Israel towards the Palestinians, or relatively towards Hamas, as if all Palestinians have been members of Hamas. Actuality is simplified by presenting individuals as homogeneous plenty: the “migrants” invading Europe and attacking “European id.” The flip facet of dehumanising discourses is id discourses advocating the prevalence of sure cultures, sure individuals. If some lives are deemed extra beneficial than others, it grants a free go to all types of violence. That is what occurred in Europe throughout World Battle II, and earlier than that in colonialism, the results of that are nonetheless seen at present. As for Israel, it’s been a colonialist venture from its inception. The violence we observe at present doesn’t come up out of nowhere; it can’t be understood or fought towards from an ahistorical perspective.
Francesca Spinelli: After we speak about violence, we’re speaking about weapons.
Sure, and right here too, there’s a standard thread linking Israel to the EU: the military-industrial advanced. Violence on the borders and in Gaza is carried out throughout the framework of accelerating militarisation, utilizing cutting-edge know-how, all to the good thing about European and Israeli corporations. The Database of Israeli Army and Safety Exports (DIMSE) exhibits the extent of Israeli exports to the EU on this subject. Conversely, there are quite a few European corporations that provide arms to Israel. In latest months, there was a rising name to finish arms gross sales to Israel, together with direct actions by activists focusing on these corporations. In France and Germany, authorized actions have been initiated by legal professionals and NGOs.
Francesca Spinelli: The Israeli arms business is especially favoured by Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Company. Are you able to inform us extra about this?
Since its institution in 2004, Frontex has contributed to the militarisation of the EU’s exterior borders. Mandated by European governments, it promotes a securitised view of migration, portraying migrants as a menace that Europe must defend towards. A portion of its huge finances (it’s essentially the most funded European company, with €845.4 million euros in 2023) is used to buy weapons and surveillance applied sciences, together with from Israeli corporations, as highlighted by journalists and researchers. It’s additionally price noting that some applied sciences are examined on the inhabitants of Gaza earlier than being bought overseas, significantly to European nations and Frontex. And the latter will first check these applied sciences on the borders earlier than utilizing them on the entire inhabitants. This is applicable to surveillance applied sciences, reminiscent of drones or information extraction applied sciences. What we observe in Gaza, at EU exterior borders, and more and more on EU territory, is a coverage of ultra-surveillance and ultra-control, pushed by the need to know intimately the id, profile, and actions of every individual, and to categorise individuals as fascinating or undesirable.
Francesca Spinelli: One other similarity between the 2 contexts we’re analysing, and it is usually one of many main political points at present, is exactly this want to manage the actions of sure classes of individuals.
Sure, the siege of Gaza, the act of confining individuals and stopping them from controlling their very own lives and actions, is precisely what European governments try to impose on migrants by denying them entry to EU territory or detaining them whereas awaiting deportation. They share the identical imaginative and prescient: the worldwide inhabitants is split based mostly on the place one is born. The best to maneuver or to remain, the appropriate to dignity and life, are decided by hometown. This hyperlink established between nationality and the appropriate to entry, a proper ruled by the visa system, is inherently colonialist. Thus, partitions have develop into a logo of the confinement of Palestinians in Gaza, but in addition of EU migration insurance policies. It’s essential to emphasize that these limitations, which proceed to multiply, aren’t simply bodily. There are administrative limitations, legal guidelines, and provisions whose sole goal is to stop individuals from residing with dignity.
Francesca Spinelli: As we have been saying, these insurance policies of confinement and exclusion are based mostly on the concept some lives are price lower than others. Elementary rights, theoretically common, are more and more violated by governments that now not really feel obligated to respect courtroom choices. Isn’t there one other parallel to be drawn right here between Israel and the EU?
Israel has twice ignored a resolution of the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice, which known as on the federal government to take all obligatory measures to make sure that Palestinians obtain humanitarian support. Equally, an growing variety of European governments are disregarding courtroom choices requiring them to respect the elemental rights of asylum seekers. That is significantly evident in Belgium, the place regardless of 1000’s of courtroom choices, authorities have failed to offer lodging for 1000’s of asylum seekers, forcing them to sleep tough. The actions of governments defy comprehension. The legislation is ignored, violated. As activists, as organisations, we could denounce, collect proof, testimonies, and statistics, however politicians persist of their actions. There’s a actual breakdown of the social contract.
Francesca Spinelli: One of many goals of the FFC mission is to offer important humanitarian support to Gaza. Nonetheless, it isn’t solely a humanitarian mission, because the objective can be to spotlight the unlawful occupation of Gaza. We all know that the stress between humanitarianism and political stances has typically created fractures inside actions supporting migrants. What’s your tackle this?
The query of whether or not humanitarian support is colonialist has typically been raised, rightly so. For me, it isn’t inherently colonialist. If somebody wants assist, we assist them – that’s solidarity. However inside this support, it’s important to query the system, the insurance policies which have made this support obligatory. If we don’t, we’re making an attempt to keep up our vantage place as aid-givers, and that’s the place it turns into problematic. The FFC has been very clear on this level: support is important however not ample. We should be certain that it ceases to be obligatory by addressing the foundation causes of the state of affairs. On the whole, it’s essential to have interaction in self-criticism, to analyze the colonialist mechanisms that we have now internalised.
Francesca Spinelli: Seeing so many individuals from totally different nations coming collectively to defend a standard trigger is a strong instance of internationalist solidarity. Do you observe the identical internationalisation inside actions that battle towards border regimes and for freedom of motion?
I’m not used to seeing such figures – 1000’s of tons of humanitarian support, a whole lot of contributors, all the cash invested on this mission. These are numbers we don’t see in native teams. I realise that with out such an enormous fundraising effort, with out this intense administrative work, we can not obtain a outcome as highly effective as that of the FFC. Internationalism requires lots of organisation, journey, cash, and this is usually a limitation for actions combating towards border regimes. That being mentioned, collaborations exist between teams and actions from totally different nations, even continents. That is the case, for instance, throughout the Abolish Frontex marketing campaign, which incorporates teams from Senegal and Morocco. It’s additionally the case throughout the No Border motion, which consists of many initiatives in numerous nations.
I wish to add that an motion can be all of the stronger if widespread goals are accompanied by a range of techniques and strategies. The No Border motion, for instance, is a grassroots, non-institutionalised motion, very near anarchism if not utterly anarchist. It hardly ever engages in dialogue with governmental establishments. However in some circumstances, reminiscent of sea rescues, even a small organisation should adjust to an entire collection of legal guidelines, and “play the sport” to be energetic. The target is similar, however the strategies are totally different.
Francesca Spinelli: By your participation on this mission, you hope to attract the eye of Belgian politicians to their accountability concerning what is occurring in Gaza – a strain all of the extra essential as federal elections are quick approaching. Particularly, what measures would you want Belgium to take?
Israel needs to be sanctioned for its struggle crimes and its failure to respect the selections of the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice. Belgium, together with many different states, ought to have way back ceased all financial, political, and educational collaboration with Israel. Moreover – however all of that is interconnected – Belgium should additionally completely respect the “cordon sanitaire” established about thirty years in the past to stop the far proper from speaking within the media and normalising its hate speech. This line is crumbling, and it’s very worrying.
Francesca Spinelli: The brutal final result of the 2010 FFC mission reminds us that this new mission will not be with out dangers. Regardless of this, you want to present to those that observe you, who learn your testimony, that it’s attainable and essential to get entangled. What would you want to inform them to encourage them?
After we come collectively, we will accomplish something. Clearly, when embarking on this operation, we have been conscious of the dangers. There’s concern, however there may be additionally an incredible quantity of dedication and solidarity. I lengthen a heat invitation to return collectively, to awaken solidarity, and to take motion, as a result of solidarity is essentially the most stunning flame that retains us alive. Confronted with all this violence, we are going to proceed to battle for the liberty of all, and we are going to accomplish that with our fists raised. We stay on this world, and we’re collectively chargeable for what occurs in it.
This text first appeared in Inexperienced European Journal. The introduction has been amended barely to account for the flotilla’s latest change in circumstances concerning worldwide crusing rights.
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