A CLARE ACTIVIST has returned home after she was detained by Israeli forces who intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla.
Sarah Clancy is the Head of the Clare Public Participation Network (PPN) and was among roughly 450 people detained after Israeli forces intercepted 42 vessels that were part of the flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, where famine is affecting an estimated half a million Palestinians. She was joined on the Flotilla by Fanore woman, Maureen Almai.
She returned to Dublin Airport on Monday night alongside Thomas McCune and Donna Schwartz where they were greeted by family members, friends, and supporters waving Palestinian flags. Upon arrival, they were provided with fresh clothes, water and essential medication.
All 15 Irish participants left Tel Aviv for Athens on Monday and are returning to Ireland on separate flights. The remaining twelve are expected to arrive by Friday.
Clancy who is a well-known poet resided in Ballyvaughan for a decade, she has been one of the key drivers of the hugely successful Ennis Book Club Festival.
Recalling her experience, Clancy described the flotilla’s interception as an abduction and said that their treatment upon arrival at Ashdod Port appeared staged for Israeli media. She added that detainees were held under armed guard in Ktzi’ot Prison, deprived of clean water and mattresses. “At one point, eight men armed with guns pinned us to the back wall of the cell because we wanted mattresses”.
A native of Galway, Sarah , described the last few days as “overwhelming” and “really unpleasant”.
She stated, “The only thing to say is however unpleasant they have been to us in an Israeli high-security prison with all the world’s media eyes on us and all our consulates visiting I can only imagine what it must be like for Palestians in those circumstances. With an ongoing genocide nobody can talk about success but what I’ve seen is hope, solidarity, joy, I have seen for myself the opportunity to move from despair to action, the opportunity to connect with people from 44 countries around the world, all ordinary people like us who went, we didn’t know if it was the right thing to do but we were tired of doing nothing, we were tired of our Governments doing nothing and of being the people that did nothing while this is happening”.
Clancy added, “We’re really really sorry we didn’t quite make it but as some people say we haven’t gone away you know, the next flotilla, 1000 Madaleens is already on it’s way and may even reach Gaza in the next three or four days. Also shame on every country’s government for letting Israel act with impunity, criminally and not even attempting to stop them”.
