Vigdis Bjorvand and Bob Suberi are volunteers on the Freedom Flotilla again nearing Gaza
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition vessel Handala, which set sail from Sicily on Sunday in another attempt to break Israel’s criminal siege of Gaza, has already completed almost ninety percent of its journey to try to bring baby food and medicines to the besieged Palestinian people facing starvation and the colonial occupation’s daily bombing and shooting:
Based on Israel’s record against previous flotilla vessels, the crew of humanitarian volunteers faces imminent attack, despite being in international waters. Here are the stories of two of members of the team, one of whom has already been bombed once by Israel on an earlier vessel – and the other who is an Israeli ex-Zionist now calling on his fellow Jews to reject the colonial project and condemn its crimes.
Vigdis Bjorvand is a 70yo Norwegian grandma who first crewed the Handala in 2023 and was on the Conscience in May this year when it was bombed by Israel in international waters near Malta, with the collusion of the Maltese government. A Palestinian activist since 1978, she says she has been waiting for years to reach Gaza – and is braving the journey again because she doesn’t want to have to tell her grandchildren that she did nothing to help the Palestinian people:
Bob Suberi is a US-Israeli who describes himself as a ‘recovering Zionist’. This is his third year attempting to help break Israel’s blockade of Gaza on the Handala, after years pf working in Palestinian solidarity in the West Bank. Suberi says he is urging others, especially in the Jewish community, to speak out against Israel’s occupation and genocide:
Let’s talk openly about a genocide. We’ve spent decades saying ‘Never again,’ and yet we’re justifying it.
Suberi says that he feels he’s doing his duty as a human being by sailing on this voyage and didn’t tell his family in Israel that he was joining the crew, but “They’ll probably find out”:
Follow the Handala’s progress here and make sure to raise awareness. Israel has murdered 400,000 Palestinians during its genocide so far, maimed many more and is both starving and bombing the survivors while telling them they’ll be killed as ‘terrorists’ if they refuse to enter Netanyahu’s new concentration camp as a staging post to permanent expulsion from their land.
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If Britain really had a ‘free press’, it would have frequently reported that The Gaza Freedom Flotilla’s heroic international activists, tried many times to break Israel’s naval blockade of occupied Gaza. It hasn’t reported them because we don’t have a ‘free press’.
Previous Gaza Freedom Flotillas of note include:
2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla: This was one of the first major attempts, where the Mavi Marmara was intercepted by Israeli forces, resulting in the deaths of 10 activists.
2011 Freedom Flotilla : This attempt faced significant diplomatic pressure and sabotage, preventing most boats from departing.
2015 Freedom Flotilla: Organised by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), this mission included several vessels, with the Swedish-flagged Marianne of Gothenburg leading the effort. The Marianne was intercepted by Israeli naval forces.
2018 Gaza Freedom Flotilla: This flotilla, also known as the Just Future for Palestine, was intercepted by the Israeli navy, with all on board being arrested.
2025 Gaza Freedom Flotilla: Last month’s (June ’25) flotilla, led by the vessel Madleen, was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters, with the crew being detained and later deported.
Good Luck Freedom Flotilla Coalition vessel Handala. Your tenacity does us proud, thanks.
“ordinary” human beings are sometimes “extraordinary” and can do some brave, courageous, selfless acts that lead humanity. Most politicians (ALL in the current UK government) are utter s***s who if Hell exists will spend eternity burning in brimstone. Eternity won’t be long enough for these wicked b******s!
Wintheringham, couldn’t agree more. This government is destroying all semblance of democracy in the UK.
Does the police officers that arrest ordinary people every Saturday for the simple act of supporting a direct action group that is non violence, realise that by following the government’s orders they are placing a target on their backs?
The Police cannot longer expect to police the community by consent, since, they are obeying the immoral laws brought forward by a corrupt government.
Hence, Police officers are not going to be able to claim on their defence to be following orders. As only moral orders have to be obeyed.
As such, police officers no only have have the right but, the duty to resist obeying immoral orders. Their first duty in a democracy, is to defend the population from oppression. The same population that through their taxes pays their salaries, and protect us from the excesses of this Fascist government. A government that was elected with less than 34% of the vote.
I wonder what the average Joe thinks when watches, purses etc are being robbed with impunity in central London while dozens of police officers are otherwise engage.
If you are looking for “good” policemen, then your going to fail miserably. Look at what they were like with the miners, waving their bonuses in their faces as Miners went hungry. I came from a policeman’s family, my sister married a policeman. Through those I knew loads of policemen. All s***s to a man. Eventually I thought I had found the one and only decent one ever. Then I discovered he had had a drink or two with a “friend.” Plied him with drink. Then sent him on his way, as he phoned his colleagues to say where he was going and details of his car, etc. And THAT was the one I thought was a decent human being!
Look at the “canteen culture” in the Met where they know a colleague is a serious wrong ‘un. They close ranks and young women lose their lives because of it. I stay as far away from the b******s as I humanly can.