This week, the Gaza Freedom Flotilla set sail from Sicily, with a number of activists including Greta Thunberg. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) is a grassroots people-to-people solidarity movement composed of campaigns and initiatives from different parts of the world, working together to end the illegal Israeli blockade of Gaza.
Our goals are:
- To break Israel’s more than 17-year illegal and inhumane blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has not only created an ongoing humanitarian crisis but has deprived Palestinians in Gaza of their right to health, safety, and freedom of movement, among other fundamental human rights.
- To educate people around the world about the blockade of Gaza, the unlivable conditions it enforces, and the fact that this colossal human suffering is not a natural catastrophe, but created by political and military choices.
- To condemn and publicize the complicity of other governments and global actors in enabling the blockade. Most notably, the US government has underwritten Israel’s violence against Palestinians for decades, funding Israel’s military at the rate of approximately 4 billion dollars every year and using most of its vetos in the UN Security Council in the last three decades to protect Israel from condemnation for its humanitarian crimes and violations of international law.
- To respond to the cry from Palestinians and Palestinian organizations in Gaza for solidarity in breaking the blockade. We want to show the people in Gaza that people and organizations around the world stand for and support their struggle for dignity and freedom.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition came into being in 2010 and guides its work in accordance with the explicit goals and plans of the people in Gaza. Our direct action missions support the dignity and humanity of Palestinians, working with civil society partners, rather than any party, faction or government. Our actions against the blockade are always governed by the principles of non-violence and non-violent resistance.
We respect everyone’s human rights regardless of race, gender, tribe, religion, ethnicity, nationality, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, or language. Because we respect everyone’s human rights, we stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people in their quest for freedom, equality, and human rights.
There is extensive information about previous Freedom Flotillas here. Previous Freedom Flotilla missions have included: Ship to Gaza Greece, the European Campaign to End the Siege of Gaza, and Miles of Smiles.
In partnership with Forensic Architecture, the FFC has equipped the ship Madleen with a live tracker to ensure safety, accountability, and global solidarity. As she sails to break Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza, the risk of attack is real. The tracker broadcasts her position in real time, deterring violence, exposing any aggression, and allowing the world to witness this mission of resistance.
Through this collaboration, we are not only increasing transparency, we are building a framework for justice. The tracker transforms a solitary vessel into a globally witnessed journey, making it harder for any violations to occur unnoticed or unchallenged. Follow Madleen. Stay alert. Stand with Palestine. You can follow Madleen in real time here.
