From activism to baggage claim

The high-seas drama fizzled into an economy-class return as eight pro-Palestinian activists, including French MEP and professional provocateur Rima Hassan, were deported from Israel this week after their failed bid to break the Gaza naval blockade — and, perhaps, make TikToks of themselves doing it.

The group, part of a 12-person crew aboard what critics dubbed the “Influencer Flotilla,” was intercepted by the Israeli navy en route to Gaza. 

Four members, including Swedish climate sensation Greta Thunberg, wisely accepted the offer of an early exit and caught the next flight home on Tuesday. Greta, it seems, has more climate summits to headline and can’t be detained by mere geopolitical realities.

The remaining eight decided to turn their stay into a political theater encore, refusing deportation and accusing Israel of “illegal detention” — while ironically staying rent-free in a state-run facility with air conditioning.

But on Thursday, their curtain closed. Legal support group Adalah confirmed the group’s appeal had sunk like their mission’s credibility. Six activists, including Rima Hassan, were escorted to Ben Gurion Airport for a return to somewhere presumably more appreciative of angry Instagram stories. The final two are scheduled to be flown out Friday — if not upgraded for emotional distress.

Rima Hassan, known less for legislative accomplishments in Brussels and more for tweets that read like excerpts from 1930s propaganda, has stirred growing outrage for her overtly antisemitic statements, which somehow still pass as "activism" in certain circles. 

She and her fellow travelers have drawn criticism not just for their rhetoric, but for a mission described by Israel’s foreign minister as "a ridiculous gimmick."

“Greta and her friends brought in a tiny amount of aid on their celebrity yacht. It did not help the people of Gaza,” said Gideon Saar, with the kind of deadpan usually reserved for courtroom sitcoms. “This was nothing but a ridiculous gimmick.”

Meanwhile, the flotilla — loaded with more moral outrage than medical supplies — failed to deliver any meaningful assistance to Gaza. Unless, of course, you count virtue signaling as cargo.

Israel, which has imposed a naval blockade on Gaza since 2007, reminded the world that unauthorized boats cruising toward a conflict zone aren't humanitarian missions — they’re PR stunts with GPS.

The activists may now be home, but their voyage leaves behind important questions: Did they help Gaza? No. Did they help themselves?  Maybe, if a few new followers count. But if the goal was serious policy change, it turns out the only thing they moved was their own luggage — and possibly Rima Hassan’s chances at reelection.