Intrepid local sailor, now Captain, Juliet Lamont, is heading back to Sicily to run Australia’s contingent of the next Global Sumud Flotilla.
The stated aim of the flotilla is ‘to break the illegal siege on Gaza by sea and open a humanitarian corridor to Gaza ‘to deliver medical aid and baby formula to Gaza, as well as take skilled engineers, doctors, care workers, and teachers to Gaza to help rebuild following Israel’s destruction of the country’.
Juliet says she has decided to participate in the flotilla again ‘despite the trauma of abuse in an Israeli prison’ following her arrest as part of the flotilla last year, and ‘the inevitable fallout of the Bondi mass shooting’.
Action for peace
Juliet told The Echo that the Bondi attack was pivotal in her decision to participate in the flotilla again, saying she realised that everyone, from Jews and Arabs to all Australians, deserves to live in peace, and taking direct action is a way to achieve this.
‘I’m always saying that I am anti-genocide and anti-deaths and that’s whether it’s Jewish or Muslim people,’ she said.
‘The so-called “ceasefire” has not stopped the killing of more than 400 Palestinians, including children. Civilians in Palestine are living in a bombed-out wasteland without functioning utilities, fresh water, or adequate food. Israel has now blocked desperately-needed doctors and healthcare workers (as part of its ban on 37 aid organisations).
‘We always go in peace. Everyone in the flotilla is non-violent. We’re trained for weeks in non-violent action before we get on the boats.’
Juliet says that the flotilla is an ‘act of love’ with representatives from 46 countries participating in the next flotilla that is due to set off from multiple ports on 30 March.
‘If all that happens is it’s symbolic, it shows that particularly people with white privilege are prepared to, and have historically, put their bodies on the line for social change and for a better world for everybody. From civil rights to gay marriage, to the suffragettes, to the slave trade, people have put themselves on the line to create change. This flotilla is a mission of peace. So it’s very powerful to be part of that.’
Juliet says she will be joined in the action by both her daughters Isla, 24 and Luca, 26 as well as locals Captain Hamish Paterson and Surya McEwen who both participated in last year’s flotilla. During the 2025 flotilla, the closest ships got to approximately 20 nautical miles (37km) from the coast of Gaza before being seized.
Getting involved
At a recent fundraiser for the Australian contingent, Juliet said she was approached by many Jewish people who were looking at ways to support ending the war in Gaza.
‘There are many Jewish people who want to speak up and are asking, “what do we say? How do we get the message out there?” They are telling me that there are a lot of conversations about the genocide in Gaza and they say “there’s a lot of us in the wings, and we want to say something”.’
Juliet has just started raising funds for her trip which you can donate to at: chuffed.org/project/164590-fundraiser-for-flotilla-participants-taking-life-saving-aid-to-gaza.
If you are interested in getting involved or registering to be part of the flotilla you can find out more at: globalsumudflotilla.org.
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