A Wimbledon-born activist who was aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla has revealed she was prepared to die in solidarity with Palestine.
Ewa Jasiewicz, a British polish activist and journalist, was a part of the Global Sumund Flotilla, a humanitarian mission to deliver aid to Gaza.
She was detained after All In, the vessel she was aboard, was intercepted by Israeli forces on 2 October.
A few days before, the 47-year-old, who was the medic on the All In vessel told the Londoners she was prepared to die in solidarity with the Palestinian people, and break the blockade on Gaza.
Jasiewicz said: “The more they (Israel) kill passport privileged citizens of countries they care about like European countries, the more of a consequence it is for them diplomatically because it becomes an issue for the people from those countries.”
The activist is no stranger to Israeli retaliation or being a part of a flotilla seeking to break the blockade on Gaza.
Part of the 2010 Gaza aid Flotilla, she witnessed the death of nine fellow activists.
Jasiewicz went to Gaza for the first time at 23 and ended up staying for three months.
“I witnessed people being killed, people being shot and injured, children being killed and homes being destroyed deliberately by the IOF,” she said.
The activist added: “All of these experiences make me more committed and more resolved to try and stop this from happening.”
Jasiewicz, who was backlisted from entering Palestine said: “This is a very common experience for many activists. And so, the sea root, for me is the only way I can get into Palestine and that was the only way I could get into Gaza in 2008.”
The activist witnessed Operation Cast Lead in December 2008 when she worked as a volunteer for the ambulance service there.
Operation Cast Lead was a major military offensive launched in Gaza by Israel in December 2008.
It prevented the media and aid agencies from entering the area. According to an Amnesty International Report, at least 1,383 Palestinians including 333 children were killed.
Jasiewicz’s Polish heritage has influenced her activism and solidarity with Palestine.
While her parents were in Nazi-occupied Poland, all her dads’ brothers were murdered by Nazis and her maternal grandfather was held in a Nazi labour camp.
“All these experiences are ones that I would never want to see repeated for anyone,” she said.
Juliusz Jasiewicz, her father, was a soldier of occupation under the British mandate in Palestine with the Polish 2nd corps, Anders Army.
200,000 Polish prisoners of ex-prisoners of war were sent to guard British interests in the Middle East whilst under British command.
“He was actually 23, the same age I was when I went to Palestine,” Jasiewicz said.
She discovered this information from her father’s memoirs.
“I don’t think he at all wanted to be an occupier…and so there’s some reparation that I felt I should be doing, for him being there reinforcing oppression,” she added.
Jasiewicz founded the Polish campaign of solidarity with Palestine back in 2010 with some fellow activist friends.
She also made her own intervention in the Polish movement by writing a book Podpalić Gazę detailing the family history that links her to Palestine.
“We talk about genocide, and we have this saying called never again, which means that we have a duty to make sure this never happens again, in Poland but also internationally,” she said.
On solidarity, boycotts and protests, Jasiewicz highlighted the importance of social movements.
“The reason that Italy, the reason that Spain sent vessels to protect us is because the social movements are very strong in those countries, and Italy had a general strike and blocked half the country, that’s what it takes,” Jasiewicz said.
The Global Smund Flotilla had over 500 people at sea, with the majority of funds for boats, like the ‘All In’ vessel which Jasiewicz was on, were funded by crowdfunding.
On the support behind the Flotilla mission, Jasiewicz said: “For every person on the flotilla, there’s a land team, there’s activists and organizations back home.
“There are thousands of people that are involved in these efforts. Hundreds of thousands of people back in our home countries that are protesting and organising, we’re all part of the same movement.”
Jasiewicz’s boat was intercepted by Israeli naval forces on 2 October.
Camden Friends of Palestine called on the Prime Minister to demand the release of Jasiewicz as a resident of his constituency. She was detained for four days.
Her family have confirmed to the Londoners that she returned to Poland on 8 October, alongside the other Polish members of the Flotilla.
Before she was detained by Israel, she said: “Let’s be very frank they (Israeli forces) can do whatever the fuck they like and there’s no consequence.
“The only consequence is the one we make for them as social movements.”
Israeli national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, told Israeli media he was ‘proud that we treat flotilla activists as supporters of terror’.
Featured image: Ewa Jasiewicz, aboard the All-In. Credit: Ewa Jasiewicz
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