Activism as a force of Social Change and Utopia – The Global Sumud Flotilla and Palestine Case
- Utopia 500
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Israel and Palestine
It is a story that goes back thousands of years, but what interests us is the last century and the latest years that have led to one of the greatest crises on the planet. It is a classic story of David and Goliath, but vice versa, with the occupier and oppressor being Israel and Palestine in the place of the oppressed. The modern conflict is traceable back to the late 19th century. The rise of the Zionist movement, a political movement for the creation of a State of Israel in the holy land of Jerusalem, that required an ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Arab Palestinian population and was not based on a concept of co-living between the two ethnic groups.
The demographic balance between the two populations has changed significantly since the start of the 20th century. In 1900, there were hardly any Jews living in Jerusalem as opposed to Arabs, who owned more than 90% of the land and dominated the population. Slowly, and with methods that have been recorded as illicit, the Zionist movement was searching for ways of transferring the Palestinian population out of Palestine. Still, it was not very successful until the middle of the 20th century. The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine in 1947 recommended the creation of two independent Jewish and Arab states, which led, due to the unfavourable side for the Arabs and their opposition, to the Arab-Israeli War of 1948 and the declaration of independence of the State of Israel. Thousands of Palestinians were massacred; even more were forced to abandon the land they had been living on for centuries, and Israel captured 78% of the land. Palestinians named this event as Nakba, which means catastrophe in Arabic.
source: BBC.CO.UK, CNN.COM, ALJAZZERA.NET, ISRAELIPALESTINIAN.PROCON.COM, LONDONTIMES.COM, NYTIMES.COM, WSJ.COM, UNITED NATIONS
As many imperialists have done in the past, from the Roman Empire until the USA's wars today, Israel created its own narrative of being in self-defence against the extremely dangerous and belligerent Arab population in comparison to the democratic and civilized state that Israel is supposedly representing. It is based on a highly racist ideology combined with religious hate that treats Palestinians, first of all, but also all the surrounding Arab nations, as entities worthy of extinction and with military support from the USA and Europe, to create its nation. UN, other organizations, journalists, historians, scientists have documented countless times the unlawful and military program of destroying and depopulating the Arab civilians and have also disposed of the Israeli propaganda of being attacked by five Arab armies in the events of 1948.
Haganah fighters expell Palestinians from Haifa, May 12, 1948 source: AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Palestine Post – The State of Israel is Born source: Palestine Post/ Jerusalem Post, The Farkash Gallery
After 1949, even though there was a ceasefire between the two sides, the conflict continued, and the region was in an impasse, crisis and military preparation. The area became a central spot for Cold War rivalry and diplomatic games that led, in 1967, to Syria, Egypt and Jordan entering a war with Israel, forcing the state to react pre-emptively to destroy their armies and establish itself as the dominant military power in the region. In what was later named the "Six-Day War", Israel crushed its enemies and captured the West Bank from Jordan, the Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula from Egypt and the Golan Heights from Syria. On the other side, Palestinian resistance rose in the political and military form of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation.
In 1987, a mass uprising of popular mobilization began among the Palestinians of the occupied territories. It was named intifada (´shaking off´ in Arabic) and it involved mass demonstrations, refusal of tax payment, general strikes, underground schools and weapon usage like stones and Molotov, among others. It was a form of resistance that was organized not by a specific political party but by several grassroots organizations of the occupied Palestinians. It drew international attention to the Palestinian subject. Israel crushed the intifada with many killings, arrests of the most important people and general force and pretty much subjugated the movement by 1991. The Oslo Accords in 1993, even though they were the first time Israeli authorities and PLO representatives sat at the same table, did not offer much, as they set up a negotiation process without a specific outcome, no end date and with loopholes to allow Israel to occupy even more territory in the meantime.
Faris Odeh throwing a stone at an Israeli tank at the Gaza Strip during the second Intifada, 29 October 2000 source AP
The failure of the Oslo peace efforts led to a second intifada in 2000, with Palestinians using rock throwing, mass demonstrations and general strikes in Arab and Israeli towns, while Israel answered once again with extreme violence, trying to avoid a second intifada. Eventually, Israel waged a full-scale war on Palestinians using even tanks and F-16 planes justified once again as self-defence. In contrast, the Palestinian resistance used suicide bombing due to the rise of extremist Islam in the later years. (Israel won) Hamas would come to power some years later in the 2006 elections after the death of Yasser-Arafat. Since 2007, the governance of the West Bank and Gaza has been divided between Fatah and Hamas. Israel has declared Gaza a hostile territory and has tightened the blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Those that remain until today live in a state deprived of human rights and basic living conditions, abused and humiliated in a situation that many call apartheid. It has been clear by now and accepted by the UN and other International Human Rights NGO's such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, that Israel has committed severe war crimes, violations of international law and genocide on the Palestinian people. The International Criminal Court has even issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, AlJazeera.net
On 7 October 2023, Palestinians and Hamas launched an attack on the southern part of Israel through the air, land and sea ¨in response to all the atrocities the Palestinians have faced over the decades¨ as Hamas stated, killing hundreds of Israeli soldiers and citizens. The retaliation from Israel was swift and merciless, killing hundreds as well as taking more hostages. The Israeli ´´Defence´´ Forces (IDF) engaged in aerial campaigns and ground operations for the next two years, going on an onslaught, killing more than 67.000 Palestinians. 2 million Gazans have been displaced and face catastrophic food shortages. They turned Gaza into the largest open-air prison on the planet, with residents deprived of any way to escape or to receive humanitarian aid. While most nations and states globally have been unable or reluctant to face the crisis, the activist community around the world has become a vital resistance factor in both trying to provide aid and in forcing the Western world to take action.
Palestinians celebrate on the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border where an Israeli tank burns after it was attacked by Palestinian fighters source: Yasser Qudih/ Reuters
A missile explodes in Gaza city during an Israeli airstrike on October 8, 2023 source: Mahmud Hams/ AFP via Getty images
Activism and the Flotillas
Activism is a form of political resistance based most of the time on non-violent methods as an equal or better alternative to political violence. It can put effective pressure on nondemocratic opponents. It is a form of strategic and political non-violent resistance that is distinct from the principled non-violence (pacifism), which mainly has an ethical and religious background. Their advantage lies in a wider internal and external civil support. At the same time, the violent repression of an activist act can backfire, increasing the solidarity of the civil population on its cause. In the case of the Palestinian aid, Israel has a difficult time trying to convince the world that activists are terrorists.
Aproximate locations of where prominent flotillas where stoped source: Freedom Fortilla Coalition
The history of the humanitarian aid flotillas started in 2008, a year after the Gaza Blockade began, when the Free Gaza Movement succeeded in breaking the Israeli lines and reaching the coast, bringing essential supplies, food and activists while even managing to get some Palestinians back to Cyprus, where they were reunited with their families. Since then, all ships trying to reach the shore have been intercepted or attacked by Israel in international waters. The most extreme situation was Israeli commandos raiding the Turkish Mavi Marmara and killing 10 activists during the assault. An incident showing how far Israel would go to show its dominance in the area and disregard for international law.
The Global Sumud Flotilla case
The Global Sumud Flotilla is the latest in countless attempts to break the blockade, but it is also the most well-known and supported throughout the world. It consists of more than 50 vessels and more than 500 participants from 44 countries around the world. Among them are activists, politicians, important public figures, artists, lawyers, and simple civilians, all of whom provide it with great significance. The participants, even though they belong to different nations and political beliefs, have decided to unite under a single claim: the siege and genocide must stop. They refer to themselves as ¨participants and organizers from the Global March to Gaza, Sumud Convoy, Sumud Nusantara, and the Freedom Flotilla Coalition*, building on decades of Palestinian resistance and international solidarity to shift the global narrative and confront international complicity. Independent of any government or political party, GSF is guided by a commitment to justice, dignity, and the sanctity of human life ¨. Also, plenty of political parties, labour unions, and political and social movements from several countries have stood in solidarity with the Flotilla, threatening to take action in their respective countries if it fails to reach the destination. This attempt for aid was also the most advertised all over the world, with millions watching and waiting for its success, as the war in Gaza has now reached a climax. Thus, Global Sumud Flotilla has broken free from being just a carrier of aid supplies, to becoming a coordinated international declaration with diplomatic and political significance.
source: Global Sumud Flotilla, Aljazeera.com
They put Israel in a difficult position. To either show its true face of brutality once again, but while the whole world is watching, and most are opposing, or to let them pass and accept that the blockade is illegal. It is a move that exposes both Israel and its allies' actions. Israel had already chosen from the first days the Flotilla entered the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea, by attacking ships with war drones in international waters in an attempt to scare the participants and turn them back, while preparing them for what lay ahead. As the maritime mission was approaching the coast of Gaza, it was assaulted in a pirate fashion by the Israeli military and its seafarers taken as hostages. They were detained in prison and treated as a threat even though they carried no weapons.
This act prompted reactions worldwide, from governments and plenty of demonstrations. The Irish, Turkish, British, South African, and Malaysian governments, among others, condemned or criticized the actions of Israel as violations of international law regarding the Flotilla and the treatment of Palestinians. Swift was the reaction of grassroots unions and movements in Europe as well. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations and strikes were organized in Barcelona, Italy, Paris, Dublin, Berlin, Geneva, Greece, Istanbul, Buenos Aires, Mexico City and Karachi. In Italy, people occupied universities, train stations, roads, etc. All in support of Palestine and demanding an end to the war, genocide and the safe return of the flotilla participants.
Greta Thunberg center with Thiago Aliva right, speals with journalists in Catania, Italy, on June 1, 2025 source: Salvatore Cavalli/ AP
The main goal of the movement and what has been achieved
A movement like that of the Flotilla is not going to solve the problem. Even the activists know that. It is but one more tile in the mosaic of solidarity for a better and more utopian world. It has managed to raise awareness on the subject and to exert pressure unseen before in Western governments, with the primary goal of stopping support for the genocide. Many of the weapons used by Israel are manufactured in and transported from Europe and the USA. Indeed, protests started all over the West in support of the Flotilla, the safe return of the activists to their countries and asking for a ceasefire.
While the events were taking place, the Israeli government and Hamas started negotiating for a peace treaty, which has now started taking place. Thousands of Palestinians have taken the way of returning to Gaza, and many are hoping for a chance to build their home there again and for the conflict to end once and for all. This is considered a direct result of the pressure that the Flotilla and its worldwide appeal inflicted on Israel. But also, a worldwide claim as the head of the Global Sumud Flotilla's Turkish delegation, Hüseyin Durmaz, declared on 2 October 12, 2025:
"The Flotilla was actually a reflection of humanity's long-standing desire to show willpower and take action against what has been happening in Gaza. People around the world could not accept that international institutions and Western states remained silent in the face of Israel's oppression and illegality. Many actions were carried out, but a strategy and idea that would yield results were needed. When we created this idea and strategy, we already expected it would receive such support."
Durmaz said the mission broke psychological barriers, inspired solidarity and proved that civil will could challenge state and military power.
"We believe today will go down in history, and that from now on, every kind of action, every result-oriented action, larger flotillas and new projects will emerge. The whole world agrees on this point. In the coming days, we will witness massive demonstrations in many countries, starting with Italy and European states. Humanity has now crossed a threshold; it has overcome feelings of despair and hopelessness,"
source: Jehad Alshrafi/ AP Photo
For Palestinians, a new chapter begins, but a new challenge as well. To rebuild their society and recover from years of humiliation, war and famine. Many experts declare that they will need generations to recover from the mass psychological trauma and that the last two years could easily constitute a new Nakba. It remains unclear if the claims of the Palestinian people for the recognition of their own state, an end to the conflict in the area and their possibility for a new normal and equal life will ever be achieved. It remains unknown if the attempts of activists, solidarity and the resistance for a better and more utopian world without racial discrimination and hate, without war and with respect for the human rights of all can be achieved. For now, a huge psychological and practical victory is what we have, but many more should follow.
References
International Law & Israel/Palestine - Palestine Portal : An in-depth review of the international law’s violations of Israel
Palestine, Israel and the Arab-Israeli Conflict: A Primer : A short history of the Palestinian-Israel Conflict until 2014
The History of Israel Reconsidered A Talk by Ilan Pappe : Great Israeí Historian Ilan Pappe talks about his life in Israel and how his views changed when he travelled abroad. He became one of the main anti-Zionist intellectuals worldwide.
Written by Thodoris Dimitrakopoulos
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