EU-Israel partnership challenged by Brussels flotilla protest

Activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla staged a silent protest near the European Council building in Brussels on 18 June, a day before an EU leaders summit. Carrying Palestinian flags and banners such as “We won’t kneel to the occupation,” they urged the European Union to halt political and economic cooperation with Israel, citing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The demonstrators claimed they had been mistreated by Israeli forces during recent detentions. Individual accounts included Belgian sailor Arno Meyns, who said Israeli authorities broke his ribs, French activist Mariam Hadjal who alleged physical abuse and sexual assault, and journalist Noa Avishag Schnall who reported threats of rape. The protest also featured former UN staffer Chloe Fiona Ludden and Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, underscoring broader criticism of the EU’s perceived complicity in the conflict. The activists called for the EU to open unrestricted humanitarian aid channels to Gaza and to make the Palestinian issue a central agenda item at the summit.