Perka stressed that this was ‘piracy, just like in our case, only this time it took place in Greece’s search and rescue area. This fact is very serious, because the state of Israel believes that it can intervene anywhere in international waters and kidnap people, who are only doing this to transport humanitarian aid, which is provided for in war zones by international rules. However, the apartheid state of Israel does not respect them under any circumstances.’
She recalled that during the first Global Sumud Flotilla mission, in which she participated, she was among those detained and held in Israeli prisons. She noted the reactions provoked by the Israeli navy’s actions a few days ago, while also denouncing the detention of two activists, Saif Abukesek, a Palestinian and Spanish citizen, and Thiago Avila, a Brazilian citizen, who she said are being transferred to Israel after being accused of ‘participation in terrorist acts’.
All they sought to do by taking part in the flotilla, she said, was to transport humanitarian aid and raise the issue so that the international community would address ‘the greatest crime of our time, the genocide in Gaza and the ethnic cleansing in the West Bank’.
Perka pointed to legal action being taken over the detention of the two activists, adding: ‘We will not leave alone two people who did nothing more than show solidarity with a people. The international community must react and secure the release of the activists.’
Referring to Israel’s treatment of the members of the first flotilla that attempted to reach Gaza, the New Left parliamentary group president said: ‘During our detention, we could not easily see the consular authorities, and we did not have legal support. Any concept of legal and diplomatic protection had been dismantled. As an MP I could theoretically have had diplomatic immunity, but that did not apply. We remained in prison for five days, one whole day on the boat until they took us to the port, where they supposedly put us through a trial, while a judge simply told us the law of Israel, pushing aside international law.’
She added: ‘Even during the ceasefire period, Israel continued to prevent humanitarian aid from entering, while people in Gaza are starving.’
‘In any case, it is not the bully of the region. It cannot enter the Mediterranean and kidnap citizens, European or not. What Israel did is regular piracy,’ Perka said.
She also criticised the Greek government’s stance, calling on it ‘to finally stop calling Israel a strategic ally. It is a genocidal, apartheid state, whose actions should be condemned, while at the same time any military or commercial co-operation with it should be discontinued.’
She concluded by saying that ‘anyone who does not talk about all this today is complicit.’
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