Occupied Palestine | فلسطين

Getting serious ~ by Kevin Neish

Flotilla 1: The Israelis’ initial violent attack began at the stern of the ship. Photo: Kate Geraghty

As we get closer to departure day, the delegates are getting more serious.

I’m hearing less laughter and joking and more hardball questions as we prepare to board the flotilla. Questions like:

Spent tear gas or smoke grenade canisters, shotgun shells. Photo: IHH

“What does a beanbag from a shotgun do to you?”
If it hits your chest, it knocks you down hard. In the head, it’ll maim or kill you.

“Did the Israelis shoot at your faces and chests?”

Yes.

“Will we be able to negotiate with them before they board?”
Not bloody likely.

“I know Hebrew, maybe I’ll be able to talk to them.”

Last time they didn’t talk much, they just screamed orders.

Israeli soldiers seized and destroyed every camera on the Mavi and stole every memory chip they could find, doing strip and body cavity searches. I was very fortunate to get my chip out. Photo IHH

“What does tasering feel like?”
Hell.

“Will our medical team be permitted to treat our injured?”
They’ll probably be handcuffed with everyone else.

“What did it feel like to have your hands cuffed behind your back for hours?”

Painful at first, but eventually your arms and shoulders go numb.

“What if they don’t let us use the bathroom?”

Be prepared to piss and shit in your pants and still keep your dignity. Don’t let them humiliate you, don’t give them that power.

“We must keep each others’ spirits up after the arrest.”
But they won’t let you talk, and you may have a bag on your head.

“Will non-whites be treated worse then whites?”

Yes.

“Where should I hide my camera chip?”

You can’t, they will look everywhere for it, inside and out.

Israel returned only destroyed camera equipment. Some lost over $70,000 of equipment. I personally lost $4500 of cash and $2500 of belongings. Photo IHH

“We should erase everything from our computers and cell phones immediately, before we’re arrested.”
There will be no time, so the best option is to quickly throw them all overboard.

“My computer is protected by a crypto password.”

No it’s not, not from them.

“They wouldn’t steal my money and belongings, would they?”
They did, and they will.

“If I sign their ‘voluntary deportation letter,’ will I avoid jail?”
Maybe.

“If I don’t sign it, will I be deported immediately?”

Maybe.

Murdered aid worker, one of 9 murdered aid workers and one of 5 shot in the head at close range, execution-style, on the Mavi Marmara.

“When will we be allowed to see our embassy officials and lawyers?”
You won’t.

“But international the law says they must allow that!

So?

“We must write our contact phone numbers on our arms.”

But they probably won’t let you use a phone.

“When will we see a judge?”

You won’t.

“But you have to see a judge to be deported!”

I didn’t.

“What part of Canada will I be deported to”

What makes you think you’ll go to Canada? I was sent to Turkey.

Executed journalist onboard the Mavi Marmara

“But my bags will be here [in a different country] waiting for my return.”
You’d better ship them home instead.

“What will my government do for me?”

Nothing.

“How long will they hold us?”

As long as they want.

“Someone might get killed!”

Yes.

More to come …


Kevin Neish

About Kevin Neish

Kevin Neish, Victoria, B.C.  Canada
phone (250) 595-3991
I’ve done human rights and human shield work all my life (53 yrs).

  • 1966 and 1990 visited Cuba on solidarity/work tours.
  • 1989 acted as a human shield for 5 exiled leaders of the Guatemalan opposition group RUOG, including Rigoberta Menchu, when they returned for peace talks. We dealt with paramilitary death threats and a car bomb.
  • 2000 and 2009 worked as an official observer in elections in El Salvador.
  • 2002 volunteered with the International Solidarity Movement to act as a human rights observer and shield in Bethlehem during the Easter  reinvasion of the West Bank.
  • 2009 and 2010 worked as a human rights observer in a Colombian prison where union and peasant leaders were held, and stayed with one of their threatened families as a protective witness.

In a nutshell, I just don’t like bullies, regardless of their colour,  religion, size, nationality or race.


Source & Updates about events at the Flotilla2 at Kevin Neish’s Weblog