In the spirit of frantically using every platform I have before we leave: I am on the Irish delegation sailing for Gaza with the Global Sumud Flotilla, parting from Mediterranean ports between tomorrow and 4 September. We are a civilian-led direct action movement aiming to non-violently break Israel’s illegal blockade with much-needed humanitarian aid. If Western governments were going to stop funding and arming genocidaires, they would have done so by now. Instead it falls to ordinary people to stand with Palestinians. I’ve filed a few articles that go into further detail that will be out over the next few days. But in one sentence: I’m doing this because Palestinians are enduring far worse every day, with the full complicity of Western governments, and the response cannot be to just keep going on with our lives.
It was important to me to do the announcement video in Irish because I see Palestine solidarity and a colonised language as linked. The Irish language has resistance potential that is pragmatic as much as symbolic: Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh showed us as much through asserting his language rights in court and giving the British government extra hoops to jump through at the same time. The beauty of it is in the simultaneity: making it procedurally harder for the British government to silence those who stand with Palestine, and insisting on the language rights that An Dream Dearg and the Gaeltacht Civil Rights Movement have fought so hard for, furthers both causes without any splitting of attention or resources. The power of Irish in Palestine solidarity could extend to labour mobilisation, I think: there are many bureaucratic jobs requiring Irish-speaking specialists who are not easily replaced if willing to strike over Gaza. I hope I will be back in Dublin on time to raise the Palestine flag at the Mórshiúl Gaeilge, but regardless I think from Ireland we should be considering how to better utilise the links between the causes.
Anyway, that’s all for now. Wish us luck at sea.
Some ways to support us
Find your closest Global Movement to Gaza delegation, follow their pages and participate in solidarity events.
If you’re in Dublin, come to this gig in Whelan’s on 5 September. I will join via video message, and all proceeds directly go to Palestinians in Gaza via mutual aid organisation Reviving Gaza. There’s also this Dublin walk along the Dodder on 31 October in solidarity with the flotilla.
Any time is a good time to donate directly to Palestinians in Gaza via The Sameer Project, Reviving Gaza or any other vetted mutual aid group.
Saoirse don Phalaistín.
N
Stay safe ♥️
ádh mór 🤍