The latest episode of PalCast focused on the Global Sumud Flotilla, the largest coordinated attempt to break Israel’s near 20-year siege on Gaza. Hosts Yousef and Tony spoke with Lynn Boylan, an Irish Member of the European Parliament for Dublin and Chair of the EU’s Relationship with Palestine Committee. Boylan joined a Legal Monitoring ship setting sail from Italy to accompany the flotilla, which aimed to deliver aid to Palestinians enduring genocide and a manmade famine.
The discussion highlighted the unprecedented scope of this initiative, with more countries and boats involved than in any previous flotilla. According to Boylan, despair, frustration, and heartbreak over the mass killing and starvation in Gaza had driven ordinary citizens, international law experts, and academics to act where politicians had failed. While monitoring boats did not carry aid, they prepared to document Israeli violations of international law and anticipated possible interception attempts.
Boylan also spoke about the wider political implications. She noted that while some governments, including Spain and Ireland, showed signs of support, others sought to obstruct the mission, such as by blocking ships from departing certain ports. She expected diplomatic pressure and direct threats from Israel, stressing that her political role would be used to bring any evidence of Israeli aggression back to the European Parliament. She emphasized that the EU’s double standards on Palestine, compared to situations like Ukraine, had eroded its credibility and exposed its complicity.
The episode underscored how the failure of governments and institutions forced individuals and grassroots groups to take responsibility for delivering aid and challenging the blockade. What should have been a duty of states had become the burden of civil society. The conversation captured both the hope and the urgency behind the Global Sumud Flotilla and its mission to confront the siege of Gaza. The episode is now available on Apple and Spotify.