Testimony of Gaza Flotilla Activists: Israel Treats Its Animals Better
Activists from the Flotilla for Gaza have provided shocking testimony about violence used by Israeli forces when intercepting aid ships in international waters. One activist, Bilal Kitay, described the treatment as inhumane and said, ‘Unfortunately, they treat their animals better. Only they think they are human,’ upon arriving at Istanbul Airport on Thursday, 21 May.
Julien Cabral, 57, an activist from Antwerp, Belgium, arrived with bruising around the eye, a wound on the left temple, and a shoulder blade injury. He said about 10 members of the Israeli naval commando unit intercepted their small boat on Monday, 18 May, more than 500 kilometres from the Israeli coast. Cabral was on board with six others from Italy, Malaysia, Finland, South Africa, and a Canada-Palestine national. He claimed the Israeli forces launched an aggressive assault even though the activists had raised their hands. ‘They first jammed communications, then boarded the boat in broad daylight with weapons and fired plastic bullets for fun,’ Cabral said. ‘We were shocked. There was a corvette nearby. They moved with brutal force.’
Cabral, who served as second-in-command on the vessel, admitted being struck at the temple. After capture, the activists were moved to a prison ship and placed in a container with their hands bound in plastic restraints. During three days of detention, the activists say they endured mistreatment, including restraint and intimidation. They were then transported by a prison bus to a detention facility near Ashdod in southern Israel. Cabral stated that the shackles were too tight and they were forced to bend for hours. ‘We could not see anything. They pressed on our necks, slapped us, and insulted us. They were very harsh towards people from Jordan and Tunisia,’ he added.
Despite the physical and mental trauma, the activists remain steadfast. Turkey evacuated 422 people via a charter flight, including 85 Turkish nationals, with doctors and ambulances on standby at the airport.
Bilal Kitay, who has twice travelled with the Flotilla, says this interception was far more brutal than the previous incident in April. However, that has not deterred him. Julien Cabral likewise said he intends to rejoin the next aid convoy. ‘Of course. We will continue this struggle,’ Cabral asserted before returning to Belgium. (AFP/I-2)
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