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One needs only to examine the actions and rhetoric of the Israeli government to fully appreciate the profound significance of the solidarity flotillas bound for Gaza. As the latest and most significant of these efforts, the Global Sumud Flotilla, set sail last week, Israel’s hostile discourse intensified, articulated most forcefully by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

The extremist minister ominously declared that all the volunteers in the flotilla are “terrorists,” that they will be treated as such. To grasp the chilling meaning of treating nonviolent activists as terrorists, one must consider a recent investigation by The Guardian newspaper. Its report that all 6,000 Palestinians detained in Gaza during the first 19 months of the genocide were held under a law that classifies them as “unlawful combatants,” thus terrorists, allowing for indefinite imprisonment.

This investigation revealed that the vast majority of those incarcerated by Israel are in fact civilians, including medical workers, teachers, journalists, civil servants and children. The fact that Israel would extend this same draconian definition to international activists, whose declared mission is to break the siege on Gaza, powerfully underscores the political and strategic value of these missions in Israel’s eyes.

Israel’s deep-seated fear of civil society involvement in its military occupation and war on the Palestinian people is not a recent development. The ongoing genocide has merely highlighted the utter failure of the international legal and political system and, in turn, the rising importance of civil society.

Israel’s fear of civil society involvement in its war on the Palestinian people is not a recent development

Dr. Ramzy Baroud

When the first solidarity boat, sent by the Free Gaza Movement, Gaza in 2008, Israel was incensed. The activists served as crucial ambassadors, educating their communities about the Israeli siege of the Strip. In 2010, Tel Aviv’s response to the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, which included the MV Mavi Marmara, was lethal. Israeli commandos 10 activists, sending a stern message that Israel would not tolerate any interference, even from well-known and respected Western-based charities, in its war against the Palestinians.

Since then, treating activists as criminals has become standard procedure, bolstered by the fact that not a single Israeli has ever been held accountable for the outrageous violence against civilians. This, however, has not deterred solidarity activists, who have attempted to sail again and again — in 2011, 2015 and 2018. The eventual infrequency of these missions was not due to a lack of interest, but rather the fact that some European countries, in coordination with Israel, did everything in their power to prevent the activists from setting sail.

This dynamic has shifted dramatically with the current genocide. Solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza has surged and now dominates many European societies, eventually winning the support of various governments, including Spain, from which the Global Sumud Flotilla embarked. Starting from Barcelona, dozens of boats are to be joined by others along the way. They will collectively carry vital supplies to Gaza, knowing full well that their chances of being intercepted and seized, along with their lifesaving cargo, are far higher than their chances of reaching the besieged coastal Strip.

This stark reality has been reinforced by recent events. The Conscience flotilla, for instance, was by drones off the coast of Malta in May. Meanwhile, the and boats were seized and confiscated in June and July, respectively. Prior to the targeting of the Madleen, Defense Minister Israel Katz described Greta Thunberg, the renowned international activist who joined the flotilla, as “antisemitic.” He a warning: “You should turn back — because you will not reach Gaza. Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or assist terrorist organizations.”

These small, underfunded initiatives are hardly enough to break the Gaza siege or to feed 2 million people

Dr. Ramzy Baroud

This fury echoes the angry language and violent actions consistently used by Israeli governments against any person or entity that dares to challenge the siege on Gaza. But why such fury? These small, underfunded initiatives are, on their own, hardly enough to break the Gaza siege or to feed the 2 million people who are today experiencing both genocide and famine.

Israel is fully aware of the potency of civil society action in the case of Palestine. In fact, most of the advocacy for Palestinian rights globally does not originate from those who purport to represent the Palestinian people, but from civil society at large. This includes a wide range of actions: political advocacy that lobbies governments, legal advocacy that holds states accountable to international law, economic pressure through divestment and boycott initiatives, cultural and academic boycotts, and massive grassroots mobilization.

The solidarity flotillas are therefore a powerful expression of how far civil society is willing to go to do the work that should be the responsibility of governments and international institutions. Ben-Gvir’s explicit threat to treat activists as terrorists reflects Israeli fears and is, paradoxically, a powerful acknowledgment of the international solidarity movement’s growing influence.

While it is ultimately the Palestinian people and their “sumoud” (steadfastness) and resilience that will defeat the Israeli stratagem, one must not underestimate the critical role of international solidarity. The freedom flotillas are not isolated acts to be judged based on their ability to reach Gaza. Instead, they are a vital part of an intricate global process that will ultimately lead to Israel’s profound isolation on the international stage — a process that has already begun.

• Dr. Ramzy Baroud is a journalist, author and the editor of The Palestine Chronicle. His latest book, “Before the Flood,” will be published by Seven Stories Press. His website is www.ramzybaroud.net. X: @RamzyBaroud