Security

By Crystal Jones • June 8, 2025

Jerusalem, 8 June, 2025 (TPS-IL) — An expert has called for changes to be made in dealing with criminals who break Israeli maritime law, in light of anti-Israeli ‘activist’ Greta Thunberg’s expected Gaza boat landing in the coming days.

Thunberg, 22, and several others, including Irish Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham, 64, boarded a small ‘pleasure’ boat which left the shore of Italy last Sunday.

The group claim to be taking aid to Palestinians in Gaza on board their 12-person boat named ‘Madleen’, breaking the law of a blockade that has been in place since 2009.

Those on board the flotilla have been regularly posting on their website and had a tracker indicating where they are, which was turned off this morning, for reasons which are yet unclear.

At the last glance, on Sunday morning, it looked as though the boat was at least 48 hours away from landing, but the crew told British media outlets on Sunday morning that they expect to arrive in Gaza tomorrow (Monday).

It is expected that Israel will let the boat reach Gazan shores, and then arrest the crew, before putting them back on a plane to their respective countries.

But this stance has been criticized by legal experts and activists.

Lt.-Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch told TPS-IL that instead of allowing the boat to moor, it should be ‘blown out of the water’ before it reaches land, as a deterrent to others who may wish to enact copy-cat crimes.

Hirsch, a previous Director of the Military Prosecution for Judea and Samaria and current advisor to Israel’s Ministry of Defense said: “There hasn’t been a case where Israel has prosecuted any [maritime criminals] to date.

“We aren’t interested in doing that, as it would mean they’d have to be in Israel, and we are not interested in them being here for a trial, so it is unlikely we will do that.

“We will put Greta [and the others] her on the first plane available. We just hold them, we may interrogate them, and seize the vessels.

“The boat may be taken in by the court in Haifa, and the boat may be forfeited, but people are just expelled. Even those the ones who were on board the Mavi Marmara in 2010 weren’t prosecuted.”

The Mavi Marmara was one of a fleet of ships, claiming to be a ‘Gaza Freedom Flotilla’ driven by Pro-Palestinians 15 years ago towards the strip, and was found to be carrying multiple weapons.

There has been a bloackade imposed by Israel on boats carrying aid into Gaza since 2009, in an attempt to weaken aid to Hamas.

Hirsch continued: “This isn’t the first [attempt to breach the blockade] – there have been half a dozen since 2010, and there will probably be more.

“What we’ve done in the past is moor them and turn them around, and that allows them to enjoy their media fest, and then they return back as heroes, having supposedly ‘challenged’ the Israeli occupation.

“That whole cycle does nothing for Israel. On the other hand, Israel has other options which should be explored and that would enhance Israel’s deterrent – i.e anyone who tries to breach the blockade and refuses to heed that should be blown out of the water.

“As harsh as it sounds, these events would let them know that Israel means business.”

He went on to state that as well as taking such drastic measures, there could be other methods too: “There are other options other than mooring. Instead of allowing this, the boat could have been stopped very much earlier.

“So it could have been addressed in a different way, we could have blown them out the water, or once they moor, there should be a media black out, so they can’t play up to the circus they’re trying to create.

“They could also be paraded alongside the minimal aid they’re bringing, parading them in front of the press and exposing this fraud as it is.”

As well as Thunberg and Cunningham, ten others are on board the boat, including a German self-described ‘activist’ who openly celebrates when Iran bombs Israel, and French politician Rima Hassan who has attended pro Hamas rallies in Jordan and blamed Israel for the killing on the Bibas family, who were murdered by Hamas in captivity.

Others have expressed support for Hezbollah and hail from Brazil and Turkey.

David Lange, Executive Director of Israellycool Israel Advocacy, who researched the social media backgrounds of all those on board, finding that many are supporters of terror groups, told TPS-IL he would like to see Israel at least searching the ship before it gets to Gaza, to ensure no weapons are on board.

He said: “Because we have these people who have shown they support Hamas and Hezbollah, we should at least stop the ship and check for weapons, as they have shown clear hatred for Israel.”

Other than that, he said it doesn’t ‘bother’ him if they wish to enter Gaza, but echoing Hirsch’s sentiments that the voyage is more about a PR attack on Israel than aid for Gaza, he said: “Its performative.

“They want to embarrass Israel, and by stopping them, in a way, we’re playing into their narrative, but we do need to make sure weapons don’t get through to the strip, which is a high probability.

“In principle, I don’t mind them going there, it doesn’t bother me, but they are trying to push us into a corner. Its a PR stunt.

“It’s not just the sentiments of some of those on board, but in the past, there have been some violent people on board boats travelling to Gaza.”

Last week, Defense Minister Israel Katz gave instructions to the IDF to take ‘any measures’ necessary to prevent the boat from reaching Gaza.

He announced today: “The State of Israel will not allow anyone to violate the naval blockade on Gaza — whose primary purpose is to prevent the transfer of weapons to Hamas, a murderous terrorist organization that holds our hostages and commits war crimes.

“I have instructed the IDF to act to ensure that the ‘Madleen’ flotilla does not reach Gaza. To the antisemitic Greta and her Hamas propaganda-spreading friends — I say clearly; you would be wise to turn back, because you will not reach Gaza.

“Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or aid terrorist organizations — by sea, by air, and on land.”