British activist describes abuse in Israeli detention after attack on Gaza aid flotilla

By Behlul Cetinkaya

LONDON (AA) - A British Muslim activist has described the harsh treatment and insults he faced while detained by Israel following its attack last week on the Global Sumud Flotilla, an effort to get humanitarian aid to Gaza and break Israel’s much-criticized blockade.

Israeli naval forces attacked and seized more than 40 boats last week that were part of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud humanitarian aid flotilla and detained over 450 activists who were on board. Most of them have been since been deported. Many told hair-raising stories of abuse at the hands of their Israeli captors.

Sajjad Hussain, one of the activists aboard the flotilla, told Anadolu that he and other detainees were subjected to verbal abuse, including repeated references to “Santa Claus” meant to mock his religious beard.

“When you insult a beard, you insult our religion,” Hussain said, describing the repeated taunts from Israeli security personnel.

“Constantly they would say, ‘Father Christmas is here, Santa Claus is here.’ These were adults saying it, not children.”

The taunts were made amid widespread reports of Palestinian children starving or dying of treatable ailments due to Israel’s years-long blockade of food, water, and medical supplies.

Hussain said the detainees were also transported in cold prison vans with minimal clothing and exposed to freezing desert conditions at night.

He also criticized Israel’s mistreatment of British Consulate staff who visited detainees, saying they were treated disrespectfully.

“The treatment of the British consulate by the Zionists was insulting,” Hussain said. “If they are insulting our staff, they are insulting the United Kingdom.”

Hussain said the behavior reflected a broader issue of political deference to Israel, and called on British MPs to protect citizens and restore the value of UK passports.

While welcoming the UK’s recent recognition of the state of Palestine, pro-Palestinian activists and dissident members of Britain’s Labour Party have accused the government of hypocrisy and failing to do enough to isolate Israel internationally and stop its genocidal attacks and blockade on Gaza.