Internal conflicts have hit the board of directors of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), a multinational convoy of several dozen vessels aiming to breach Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.
Alleged “wokeness”, political activism and in particular LGBTQ activism has led to serious discontent.
Le Courrier de l’Atlas, a French-language monthly magazine and online outlet covering Maghreb affairs, reported on September 16 that local GSF co-ordinator Khaled Boujemâa announced his resignation in protest at the presence of LGBTQ activists in the flotilla, including Saif Ayadi, who identifies as a “queer activist”.
“We were lied to about the identity of some participants in the vanguard of the flotilla, I accuse the organisers of having hidden this aspect from us,” he complained in two video streams on social media.
Other figures, including activist Mariem Meftah and presenter Samir Elwafi, condemned what they saw as an attempt to impose a cultural progressive agenda unrelated to the Palestinian cause, describing it as a “red line crossed” and an attack on “societal values”.
Brussels Signal reached out to the GSF but had not received a reply at the time of writing.
On September 15 Facebook, Meftah wrote that being gay was a private matter, no one else’s business and that no one should be discriminated or targeted for it.
But she stressed that such activism is viewed as incompatible with Islamic beliefs and warned against using “the sacred cause of Al-Aqsa” to advance unrelated agendas.
Al-Aqsa serves as a symbol of the entire Palestinian cause—while Muslims (via Jordan’s Waqf) administer it, Israel controls the area militarily and politically.
Meftah accused the GSF organisers of betraying the trust of supporters who contributed resources for the flotilla’s mission. He called on others to correct what was described as a “serious mistake” against the Palestinian cause.
Also on Facebook the same day, Elwafi wrote: “Palestine is first and foremost the cause of Muslims, and it cannot be separated from its spiritual and religious dimension — with Jerusalem at the heart of its symbols and destiny.
“So why involve in it dubious activists serving other agendas that do not concern us and have nothing to do with Gaza, such as homosexuality!?
“Why do we hear the voices of these discredited and rejected figures in a flotilla meant to represent our societies and their solidarity with Gaza!? Why divide people over the very cause that unites them!?
“Why all these financial, moral, ideological, and security suspicions surrounding a flotilla that is supposed to embody Arab sentiment and the conscience of humanity!?
“What do you expect an Arab Muslim to think when he hears the slogans of this ‘queer’ movement within a flotilla launched in the name of his most sacred and central cause, only to see it degraded in this way!?”
Disagreements with the leadership reportedly also led to renowned activist Greta Thunberg leaving the organisation’s leadership. She will remain on board as an organiser and a participant volunteer.
Her profile was swiftly removed from the list of board members on the mission’s website and she left the Family boat, used by the members of the humanitarian directive, and joined the Alma boat with her bags, used by activists.
According to left-wing outlet Il Manifesto, Thunberg believes that the leadership was communicating too much on internal affairs and did not focus enough on the “genocide in Palestine”.
“I very much believe in the goal of this humanitarian mission, as well as the power and symbolism in the mobilisation we see worldwide for a free Palestine,” Thunberg told journalists on September 20.
“We all have a role to play in ensuring these movements remain decentralised, de-colonial and with a clear focus on the purpose of the mission, which is Gaza and Palestine.
“My role here will not be in the steering committee, but as an organiser and participant, as I think I will be able to contribute better,” she said.
“The necessity and urgency of this mission cannot be overstated, even though it should absolutely not fall on civilians to do the job of world governments and uphold human rights and international law.”
Journalist Yosef Omar also announced on Instagram that he was leaving the flotilla. Il Manifesto reported he angered participants with his “sensationalist” style and his reporting on an alleged drone attack.
The fleet is en route to Gaza via Italy and Greece, planning to create a flotilla with around 40 other humanitarian ships that all want to bring aid to the Gaza strip and denounce Israel’s blockade of the area.
It was supposed to reach Gaza much earlier but there have been issues with bad weather and breakdowns, leading some participants to give up and leave for home.
On September 16, Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Anti-Semitism unveiled a detailed report claiming that the GSF was underpinned by networks tied to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.
On September 17, Israeli-Swedish journalist David Stavrou, writing for Svenska Dagbladet, accused the flotilla organisation of including individuals linked to Hamas, Hezbollah and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), as well as people with extremist religious views, chauvinistic attitudes, anti-Semitic beliefs and other questionable affiliations.
