Freedom Flotilla, EU steps aside: “Responsibility lies with countries of origin”

Brussels – The detention of the Freedom Flotilla crew in Israel? The European Union washes its hands of it. In a statement released shortly after 5 pm today (9 June)—more than 14 hours after the interception of the ship and the arrest of the twelve volunteers, including French MEP Rima Hassan—the European Commission issued a brief statement explaining that the responsibility lies with the countries of origin of the activists. “The authorities responsible for ensuring consular protection are the states of nationality of the citizens,” is all the EU executive has to say for now, through a spokesperson. 

The Franco-Palestinian MEP, the Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, together with the other volunteers (five French, one Turkish, one Spanish, one Dutch, one English, and one German), are currently detained by the Israeli authorities at the port of Ashdod, some thirty kilometres south of Tel Aviv. The boat and the cargo of humanitarian aid it was carrying were confiscated. “The crew of the Freedom Flotilla has been illegally detained by Israel for more than 14 hours, following the equally illegal interception of their humanitarian ship while delivering aid to Gaza, outside Israeli territorial waters,” reads Hassan’s X profile, as well as that of other activists who have been relentlessly calling for days for pressure to be put on Western governments. 

Madleen from the Freedom Flotilla collective [Photo: X FFC account]

The Elysée Palace declared today that France will work to ensure the swift return home of the six French citizens. Spain and Turkey condemned the Israeli action. Not a word of condemnation, nor the traditional “we will follow the affair closely,” let alone make contact with the Israeli authorities, from Brussels. The European Commission spokesperson added: “The EU reiterates its urgent call for the immediate, unimpeded, and continuous resumption of large-scale aid to Gaza, in full respect of humanitarian principles, and calls for an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages.” 

To the heads of the European Commission, first and foremost to President Ursula von der Leyen and High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas, 41 MEPs have addressed an urgent letter on the initiative of the Green Left Alliance delegation in Brussels. The signatories—who come from the Green/Ale, The Left, S&D and Renew groups —call on the EU executive to demand the “immediate release of the detained volunteers and the protection of European aid workers” and “publicly” condemn the attack on the ship “and the seizure of the crew and aid.” In the face of the “blatant aggression”, the 41 call for “concrete measures”: the suspension of “trade and cooperation” with Israel and “a total arms embargo”. To dispel any doubts, they ask Brussels to “clarify its official position on the Israeli government’s repeated and increasing violations of international humanitarian law.”

Greta Thunberg and Rima Hassan together with part of the Madleen crew [Photo: Rima Hassan Instagram account]

A few minutes ago, the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, who is visiting the United States, struck a blow: “Over the last few days and hours” Metsola has reportedly been in “constant contact with the Israeli authorities and the leaders of the political groups in the European Parliament to ensure the safety of MEP Rima Hassan, one of the people on board the ship Madleen, and all her companions,” the office of the president’s spokesperson announced. 

The situation is “still ongoing and we will remain in contact 24 hours a day with all parties until it is safely resolved”, Metsola’s staff added, stressing (but generalising the problem and thus escaping a direct demand towards Israel) that “the European Parliament will always insist that all its MEPs are protected and treated with respect, as elected representatives of European citizens, wherever they are in the world.” On this last point, Amnesty International raises the alarm, calling in a statement for the “immediate and unconditional release” of the crew of the Madleen and stressing that they “must also be protected from torture and other ill-treatment.” 

From the port of Ashdod, the 12 volunteers are expected to be transferred to a detention centre in the Israeli city of Ramla and then repatriated. In the meantime, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, today, 47 Palestinian citizens were killed and 388 injured in Israeli army raids in the Strip.