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FORMER HEALTH WORKER Maureen Almai knows she may be detained, smeared as a “terrorist”, or even attacked at sea.
Despite this, the 66-year-old woman says she feels compelled to join the Global Sumud Flotilla, which is attempting to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza and deliver urgently needed humanitarian aid.
“The main reason I’m going is a feeling of helplessness, watching what’s happening in Gaza,” she told The Journal from a port in Italy.
“It’s hard to see governments, including the Irish government, staying silent in the face of genocide. That means it falls on ordinary civilians to act.”
Almai, who lives in Fanore, is one of more than a dozen Irish participants in the flotilla, the largest maritime mission to Gaza since the Israeli assault began in October 2023.
Among them are writer Naoise Dolan, poet Sarah Clancy, Sinn Féin Senator Chris Andrews, Kildare TD Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh and People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy.
The mission has also attracted international figures including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and Hollywood star Susan Sarandon.
Organisers describe the flotilla as “humanitarian, lawful, and unstoppable”, despite threats this week from Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to seize the boats and designate participants as terrorists.
In a statement on Thursday, the coalition said such rhetoric was “a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions”, and vowed it would not be deterred.
“This is not a political mission,” Almai stressed.
“It’s humanitarian and non-violent. We’re not aggressors. We want to open a corridor so that food, medicine, and aid can reach Palestinians.
Everyone knows the risks. We all know what happened in previous flotillas. But silence is no longer an option.
The risks are real. In 2010, Israeli forces stormed the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, killing 10 activists.
More recently, in June, a smaller flotilla also carrying Greta Thunberg was intercepted and its passengers detained.
Israel’s cabinet is now openly discussing prolonged imprisonment for those aboard the current mission.
Still, the sense of momentum is undeniable. After a mass send-off rally in Barcelona on Sunday, the flotilla initially turned back due to bad weather, before setting sail again on Monday.
Around 200 activists, politicians, and artists from 44 countries are currently at sea, with more vessels set to join from Spain and Italy before the fleet reaches Tunisia.
Organisers say the ultimate goal is to bring together as many as 50 boats carrying hundreds of participants to “break the blockade” on Gaza and deliver aid.
Almai, a former healthcare worker who is part of the mission’s medical team, has undergone intensive training to prepare for every scenario, including potential boarding by Israeli forces.
“I have four daughters, and of course they’re worried. But they understand why I’m doing this. I volunteered in Cambodia after the Pol Pot regime, this isn’t my first mission.
“I feel a moral responsibility to act, because governments won’t. And with privilege such as ours comes responsibility.”
Almai added that her daughters are “active for the Palestinian cause” and regularly take part in protests.
“They know that I need to do this,” she said.
A sense of history weighs heavily for her.
“Irish Catholics in the North experienced occupation, repression, and land theft. Our famine was man-made, just like what’s happening in Palestine. The parallels are there, which is why Irish people can identify with it.”
A total of 185 people in Gaza died “due to malnutrition” in August, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.
A man-made famine was declared in Gaza City by a UN-backed global hunger-monitoring system last month.
Almai was unsparing in her criticism of the Irish government, pointing to the use of Shannon Airport by US military aircraft.
“They’re complicit. They should be ashamed that Irish citizens have had to mobilise while they stay silent. The lack of backbone is shocking.”
Her words are more pointed still when it comes to Sinn Féin’s governing in Northern Ireland.
Almai pointed in particular to the party’s role in overseeing a rates relief scheme which has saved Caterpillar, the US manufacturer whose bulldozers are widely used by Israel in Gaza, more than £13 million since 2011.
The UN has named Caterpillar as one of the companies profiting from Israel’s military campaign, and countries such as Norway have already divested from the construction firm.
Activists argue that allowing the company such generous tax breaks makes Sinn Féin’s expressions of solidarity with Palestine ring hollow.
Despite the dangers, Almai speaks with conviction about what the mission represents.
“It’s amazing, more than 40 countries, all religions, all cultures, setting differences aside for humanity. Governments can’t even agree on basic acts. Yet here, people have come together to say enough is enough.”
Her hope is that their voyage forces the world to pay attention.
“The goal is simple: open a humanitarian corridor into Gaza. Let food and medicine flow freely. End the genocide. If our governments won’t act, then citizens have to.”
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