US Activist Released After Gaza Flotilla interception Alleges Mistreatment by Israel
A US citizen who participated in a recent Gaza-bound flotilla has alleged mistreatment while detained by Israeli authorities,including what he described as “psychological torture.” Elliott Adler, one of over 20 Americans on the voyage, was released last week after being intercepted in international waters.
The flotilla’s attempt to deliver aid to Gaza occurred amidst ongoing conflict and a severe humanitarian crisis. Israel has maintained a blockade of Gaza for years, restricting the movement of people and goods, a policy critics argue constitutes collective punishment.
Adler recounted being denied consular services by US officials, claiming the US general consul told him, “We are not your babysitters. You’d have no food, no water, no money, no phones, no planes…We’re taking you straight to the airport, and you’re on your own.”
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee publicly rebuked Adler, labeling him a “self-absorbed tool of Hamas” and repeating Israeli assertions that the flotilla was “Hamas-funded.”
Adler, reflecting on his motivations for joining the flotilla, posted on social media before the voyage, stating, “If there’s any part of the Torah that I still remember, it is this obligation it bestows upon us: ‘Justice, justice you shall pursue.’ How could we stand by while the State of Israel perverts this holy obligation, overseeing a holocaust of the Palestinian people?”
He further stated the treatment of activists highlighted “how rogue the state of Israel has become in its utter disregard for basic international humanitarian law,” while acknowledging the disparity between his experience and the daily hardships faced by Palestinians.
The incident has drawn attention to the plight of Palestinian detainees. Israel currently holds thousands of Palestinians, many without charge or trial, and rights groups have documented instances of torture, starvation, and sexual violence within Israeli prisons. The case of US teenager Mohammed Ibrahim, arrested in the West Bank in February and reportedly losing notable weight while detained, remains a concern.
Al Jazeera’s requests for comment from the Israeli government’s Press Office and the US Department of State were not answered by the time of publication.
