IPSC welcomes release of Flotilla activists

The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign has welcomed the news that all 16 Irish activists, who were captured by the Israeli state after they attempted to bring aid into Gaza, have been released.  

IPSC National Chairperson Zoë Lawlor said, “we welcome the release of all the Irish and other participants on the Global Sumud Flotilla who were illegally kidnapped in international waters by apartheid Israel. Israel’s siege of Gaza is illegal, as is its genocidal policy of forced starvation of the Palestinian people.”

“The people on the Flotilla were carrying aid, hope and solidarity and should never have been stopped from getting to Gaza. We condemn the kidnapping, the mistreatment of the Flotilla participants by Israeli authorities, and of course, the siege of Gaza. How many times will Israel kidnap Irish citizens before our government sanctions it?”

“If governments, including ours, upheld their legal obligations to act to prevent and also to punish genocide, then people would not have to take to the seas to try to break the illegal blockade. The Irish government must impose sanctions – incuding by enacting the Occupied Territories Bill, including a ban on trade with services in illegal settlements; enact the Arms Embargo Bill and end the use of Irish airspace and airports for the transiting of weapons to Israel; end the export of dual use goods to Israel; and enact an ethical procurement and investment policy that would ensure no entity complicit in apartheid or genocide recieves Irish taxpayers’ money.

“This genocide must end, Israeli apartheid and settler-colonial must end, and Palestinians must have freedom, justice and equality.” 

Ms Lawlor was herself kidnapped by Israeli forces in international waters and imprisoned for 10 days when she sailed with the Freedom Flotilla to break the siege of Gaza in 2011.