The Global Sumud Flotilla Prepares to Break the Blockade of Gaza Aid
Israeli Minister of National Security
Doesn’t Even Know His Prisons-Flotilla
Participants Have Never Had
TV, Radio or “Specialty Food”
Colonel (Ret) Ann Wright /
(September 1, 2025) — As many boats in the Global Sumud flotilla with hundreds of participants from around the world get set to depart from Barcelona and Tunis and a third wave of ships prepares for a late September departure to challenge the Israeli blockade of Gaza and the genocide of Palestinians, the headline in the September 1, 2025 Jerusalem Post reads “Ben-Gvir plans to designate Global Sumud Flotilla activists as terrorists, seize boats.”
Ben-Gvir goes on to say that: “Activists will be held in prisons for terrorists and will be denied special privileges such as television, radio, and specialized food.”
Well, having been twice (2010 and 2016) in Israeli prison for being on boats challenging the illegal Israeli naval blockade of Gaza, I am sure Ben-Gvir has never been in his own prisons.
Those of us who have been in Israeli prison know that we have never been in cells that have TV or radio. And the foods are definitely not “speciality.” Pieces of bread, a tomato, piece of cucumber and perhaps a glass of tea are all I have had while in Israeli prison, which was fine with me as we know that Palestinian prisoners in the same prison may not be given even those “luxuries.”
Our latest flotilla participants on the Madleen and Handala report very dirty cells with two persons getting the skin disease scabies while in prison. Both women and men have been put in solitary confinement.
What prison conditions are like will not be a deterrent to those on boats who are challenging the Israeli genocide of Gaza.
Threats of treatment from one of the architects of Israeli genocide will not deter those who are fed up with the Israeli murder of Palestinians and the physical destruction of Gaza and are willing to risk their lives to bring further attention to the horrific genocide of Palestinians and the starvation of children, the elderly and all the Palestinians in Gaza.
The only thing that will deter the flotillas will be Israel permanently stopping the bombing and destruction of Gaza and allowing food and medicines into Gaza and distribution by well-established organizations that have professional distribution systems so all in Gaza will have access to food and medicines.
The flotillas will continue to sail until the Israeli destruction of Gaza and Palestinians ends.
Ann Wright is a 29-year veteran of the US Army/Army Reserves. She retired as a Colonel. She was also a US diplomat and resigned in 2003 in opposition to the US war on Iraq. She is the co-author of “Dissent: Voices of Conscience.” www.voicesofconscience.com
