Paris: A Yemeni-Jewish freelance journalist based in Paris has joined the 2025 Freedom Flotilla to Gaza, stating that 'determination to do the right thing overrides fear' as she and fellow activists set sail to challenge Israel's blockade of the enclave.
According to Anadolu Agency, Noa Avishag Schnall identifies herself as 'an anti-Zionist Arab Jew' and has renounced the citizenship of 'the European colony known as Israel, or '48 Palestine.' She expressed her motivation to join the flotilla out of a 'sense of deep-rooted responsibility' to Palestinians enduring what she described as genocide and ethnic cleansing by Israel. Schnall emphasized her commitment to taking decisive action to break the blockade on Gaza.
Schnall criticized international neglect of obligations under the Geneva Conventions and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, arguing that civilians are stepping in where governments have failed. She questioned why it is left to civilians to act on duties that nation-states are neglecting. Schnall accused governments of offering only 'lip service to Palestinian sovereignty' and highlighted their failure to stop ongoing violence in Gaza.
She reported that comrades in the Sumud Flotilla were intercepted in international waters and taken to Israel or '48 Palestine.' Despite potential risks, Schnall stated that fear is overridden by determination to act, comparing their actions to the daily struggles of Palestinians. She described Israel as an ethnostate and highlighted nearly eight decades of Palestinian suffering, urging people to understand the definition of genocide and the international community's responsibility to prevent it.
Schnall also criticized a 'mainstream media blackout' and emphasized the importance of amplifying Palestinian journalists' voices. The flotilla aims to challenge both the blockade and the lack of media coverage. She concluded by urging governments to enforce international law, halt arms deliveries to Israel, and end support for what she described as 'Israeli apartheid.'