Aussie activists safely home after Israeli forces beatings claims
Activists detained by Israel after being part of a flotilla delivering food and health aid to Gaza have arrived home in emotional scenes after claims of beatings and abuse.
Australian members of a flotilla that tried to deliver aid to Gaza have been welcomed home in emotional airport scenes after being freed from detention in Israel.
Eleven Australians were among 400 people detained by Israel last week in international waters west of Cyprus.
The broader group of flotilla participants allege they suffered abuse at the hands of Israeli forces, such as broken limbs, sexual assaults, tasers to the face and being injected with unknown substances.
Seven of the Australian contingent arrived in Sydney on Monday morning, while the rest were due to arrive in Melbourne and Brisbane.
Walking out into the Sydney Airport departures hall, the Sydney flotilla participants returned triumphant with fists and peace signs held high.
A large contingent of supporters, including family, friends and federal senators greeted them on arrival with rapturous applause and chants of “free, free Palestine”.
Flotilla member Surya McEwen ran into his mother’s arms, while fellow member Zach Schofield embraced his parents and partner.
This was the third attempt by Mr McEwen, a dual diagnosis care worker from Mullumbimby, to deliver aid to Gaza via a flotilla.
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During his most recent detention, he was held for 80 hours and alleges he was beaten in a room while Israeli soldiers sang the national anthem.
McEwen likened the prison ships used by Israel to prisoner of war camps with nowhere to sleep, few toilets and platforms from which soldiers indiscriminately fired rubber bullets.
“We’re all very tired, battered and bruised,” he said during a stopover before arriving in Sydney.
“While I was imprisoned, I thought of the thousands of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, hundreds among them children, and many being held without reason.”
Other Australians on board the flotilla allege they were denied food and water and physically assaulted.
After hugging loved ones, the activists spoke to reporters at the airport, describing harrowing experiences while in custody in Israel.
“I was dragged into a darkened container on a prison boat, I was sexually assaulted, I was beaten – and that was just the beginning of four days of absolute hell,” flotilla member Juliet Lamont said.
“I’ve looked into the eyes of the most soulless people in the universe, and nothing came back.”
Sam Woripa Watson was the third flotilla member to be processed on a prison ship, and the last to board the plane.
His fractured rib and bruises were the least of his worries, he said.
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“The worst thing was being there the whole time and seeing and listening to my friends being punched and kicked and tasered and shot with beanbag bullets and stun grenades,” he said.
Neve O’Connor alleged she was repeatedly kneed in the spine by Israeli authorities while her hands were held behind her back.
She said three men stomped on her wrists and stomach as they laughed in her face.
Global Sumud Flotilla activist Neve O’Connor says she was brutalised during her detention.
But she said pain had been inflicted on Palestinians for much longer.
“When you listen to my story, think not about my pain, but those of the Palestinians,” O’Connor said.
“For decades and generations, they’ve been shouldering the brunt of their resilience and their perseverance alone.
“Now the world is waking up.”
The Israeli Defence Force’s bombardment and starvation of Gaza has killed more than 72,000 people and destroyed the territory’s infrastructure, according to the UN World Food Program.
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was also widely condemned after he posted a video of himself taunting detainees while they knelt with their heads on the ground, many with their hands zip tied behind their backs.
Federal minister Mark Butler said the government had “in the strongest possible terms” raised its concerns both in Australia and Israel.
“The treatment of those Australians and people from many other countries as well has been disgraceful,” he told ABC TV on Monday.
“We’re really glad that the Australians are starting now to return home and reunite with their families, but this has been a particularly concerning event.”
Israel’s foreign ministry has labelled the flotilla a “provocation for the sake of provocation” and has previously denied the participants’ allegations of abuse.
But members of the aid delegation are speaking with lawyers about their experience.
They want evidence collated to be used at the International Criminal Court to support the abuse claims of Palestinians.
While McEwen did not yet know what the next steps would be for the flotilla mission, he said the push for Palestinian liberation was stronger than ever.
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