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 Solidarity Flotilla, sets sail Israel’s hostile discourse has intensified, articulated most forcefully by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

The extremist minister has ominously declared that all the volunteers on board the flotilla are “terrorists,” vowing that they will be treated as such. To grasp the chilling meaning of treating non-violent activists as terrorists, one must consider a recent investigation by the Guardian newspaper.

The report exposed that of the 6,000 Palestinians detained in Gaza during the first 19 months of the genocide, all 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.

When the first solidarity boat, sent by the Free Gaza Movement, reached Gaza in 2008, Israel was incensed. The activists served as crucial ambassadors, educating their communities about the Israeli siege on the Strip.

Tel Aviv’s response to the 2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla, which included the MV Mavi Marmara, was lethal. Israeli commandos killed 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 operating 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 co-ordination 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 latest Global Solidarity Flotilla has embarked.

Starting from Barcelona, the 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 life-saving cargo, are far higher than their chances of reaching the besieged coastal Gaza Strip.

This stark reality has been reinforced by recent events. The Conscience flotilla, for instance, was targeted by drones off the coast of Malta last May. Meanwhile, the Madleen and Handala were seized and confiscated in June and July.

Prior to the targeting of the Madleen, Defence Minister Israel Katz described Greta Thunberg, the renowned international activist who joined the flotilla, as “anti-semitic.” He issued a warning: “You’d better turn back … because you will not reach Gaza. Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or to assist terrorist organisations.”

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

Israel is fully aware of the potent effectiveness 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 mobilisation.

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

While it is ultimately the Palestinian people, their sumud (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 piece of an intricate global process that will ultimately lead to Israel’s profound isolation on the international stage — a process that has already begun with considerable success.

Ramzy Baroud is a journalist, author and the editor of the Palestine Chronicle (www.palestinechronicle.com).