Antisemitism Finds New Voice Through “Humanitarian” Gaza Flotilla

In late August, nearly 500 boats carrying hundreds of activists departed Spain for Gaza in what organizers called a humanitarian mission to break Israel’s naval blockade. The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) featured high-profile participants including climate activist Greta Thunberg, Nelson Mandela’s grandson, and several European politicians.

Thousands gathered at Barcelona’s port for the sendoff, waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Free Palestine” and “It’s not a war, it’s a genocide.” Social media footage captured a festive atmosphere aboard the vessels, with music, dancing, and abundant selfies.

Behind the humanitarian veneer, however, Israeli intelligence has uncovered disturbing connections. On September 30, the Israel Defense Forces revealed documents found in Gaza providing “direct proof that Hamas financed the so-called ‘Sumud’ flotilla and even covertly owned many of its vessels through Cyber Neptune — a Spanish front company headed by Saif Abu Keshk,” according to Israel’s Ministry for Diaspora Affairs.

The Palestinian Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), which organized the flotilla, was founded by Hamas in 2018 as its overseas representative body. Israel designated the PCPA a terrorist organization in 2021, and the U.S. government has placed sanctions on the group for its Hamas ties.

Key figures in the flotilla have documented connections to designated terrorist groups. Amin Abu Rashid, described by the U.S. Treasury Department as a “top Hamas operative in Europe responsible for raising millions of U.S. dollars in funds for Hamas by using sham charities as a cover,” was among the flotilla’s backers.

Saif Abu Kishk, who served on the flotilla’s steering committee, was arrested by Egyptian authorities in June while leading a “March to Gaza” campaign in collaboration with Yahia Sarri, a Muslim Brotherhood cleric with direct ties to Hamas. Another steering committee member, Wael Nawar, has had documented meetings with Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. He was photographed attending the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah earlier this year.

A comprehensive 22-page report published in September detailed these connections with photographic evidence and social media posts from many of the organizers, confirming the flotilla was primarily a propaganda operation.

Despite its stated humanitarian purpose, the flotilla carried minimal aid. When Israel, Italy, and Greece offered to unload any humanitarian supplies at regional ports for distribution, flotilla organizers refused. When Israeli forces eventually intercepted the vessels in late September, they found barely two tons of supplies—”less than one-tenth of a single aid truck,” according to Israel’s Foreign Ministry. For context, approximately 300 aid trucks carrying 20 tons each enter Gaza daily.

On October 6, Thunberg and hundreds of participants were deported to Greece and Slovakia after brief detention. Their detention sparked concern from some U.S. lawmakers, including Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and over two dozen members of California’s congressional delegation, who sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging action to secure the release of American citizens who participated.

The letter described the flotilla as a “non-violent mission to deliver desperately needed humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza” and called for more aid shipments. However, it failed to mention Hamas’s role in Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, including the group’s documented seizure of aid intended for civilians.

Between August 16 and September 16, 117,600 tons of food aid were delivered to Gaza—equivalent to about 4,400 calories per person daily, more than twice the recommended amount. The primary challenge is not supply but distribution, as Hamas reportedly diverts as much as 88% of incoming aid to sell on the black market, using profits to fund its operations.

Critics argue that Israel faces unprecedented expectations to aid and supply an enemy it is actively fighting—a standard applied to no other nation in similar circumstances.

This episode reflects a concerning pattern where antisemitism finds mainstream acceptance through political advocacy and media coverage that fails to scrutinize the true nature of such “humanitarian” initiatives. Similar issues arose in 2019 when U.S. Representatives attempted to visit Israel on a trip sponsored by Miftah, an organization that has promoted antisemitic blood libel and praised suicide bombers.

History shows that antisemitism has never been limited to the uneducated or unsophisticated. The Nazi regime relied heavily on academics, scientists, and professionals to implement its genocidal policies. Today, celebrities and politicians risk serving similar roles by lending legitimacy to organizations with documented terrorist connections.

As one observer noted regarding the GSF incident, “What starts with the Jews, or in this case, the Jewish state, never ends with them.” Gaza’s current state serves as a stark reminder of how extremist ideology ultimately destroys not only its targets but also the societies that embrace it.