“Together with many other activists from around the world, we want to set sail as soon as possible to break through the illegal blockade of Gaza. The Israeli state murders women and children, but also the elderly, without batting an eyelid, and the German state, like other states, remains inactive.
Furthermore, I hope that I can convey the message of solidarity from the Kurdish people to the Palestinian people – with my journey and my hoped-for arrival in Palestine.”
~ Murat Okundu, participant in the Global Sumud Flotilla from Cologne
Whether Israel, Germany, or Turkey – various governments have been trying for years to divide the peoples of the Middle East and win them over to their interests. Kurds and Druze are supposed to ally themselves with Israel to create a modern Middle East together, while tens of thousands of Palestinians have been murdered in Gaza and an entire people is being starved.
The issue in the Middle East is not whether this or that people or religious minority suffers more or deserves more attention, but that not a single year goes by in the region without war, massacres, and oppression. The peoples and the oppressed are the force that drives international solidarity and action against war and occupation.
In particular, we want to highlight the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES), which emerged from the Rojava Revolution in 2012, because it shows that it is possible to live in democratic self-government and peace with one another.
Rojava is our revolution — a revolution of the Kurds, Arabs, and numerous other peoples of the region.
That is why our slogan in the flotilla campaign is: From Kobanê to Gaza – defeat the occupation!
The threat to Rojava and the occupation of Gaza and the West Bank are not isolated incidents and manifestations of an aggressive expansionist policy, but also preparations for a coming war in which there will be no place for anti-colonial resistance.
Israel’s attacks in recent years in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iran show that the state of Israel is waging a war against the peoples of the Middle East by bombing civilian positions, and this must be answered.
The Sumud Flotilla as the response of the peoples
The Sumud Flotilla is a sign of international solidarity and of the peoples of the world breaking through the blockade that has isolated the Gaza Strip from the world and the rest of Palestine since 2006! The move, involving a flotilla of 50 boats and 600 participants, sends a clear message to the international community.
In the coming days, the Israeli army may stop, kidnap, or torture the activists. We call on all democrats and opponents of war to take to the streets against the genocide in Gaza and for the passage of the ships to Gaza, and to build political pressure on the German government.
For a just peace in the Middle East, without empty promises from the US and UNO! Stop the threats against Rojava and the genocide in Gaza!
Peoples Bridge, 6th September 2025
