SA Olympian faces Israeli arrest

There was a high possibility of South African Olympian Leigh-Ann Naidoo being arrested by members of the Israeli naval forces this morning while on board a humanitarian boat to Gaza.

Naidoo has been sailing for a week on the al-Zaytouna with other international woman activists as part of the Women’s Boat, a human rights initiative that sought to challenge the Israeli blockade on the Palestinian territory.

The Israeli daily Maariv reported on Sunday that the Israeli naval forces had received instructions to intercept the boat and arrest the activists as soon as they reached Gaza’s shores, according to the Palestinian Information Centre. This was scheduled to happen this morning.

The boat was reportedly then to be towed to the port of Ashdod, one of Israel’s two main cargo ports. The activists – including Northern Ireland Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire and former US army colonel Ann Wright – were expected to be deported if the interception happened.

Naidoo is a teacher, Olympian in beach volleyball and Wits PhD student active in the #FeesMustFall movement. She has a 7-year-old daughter with her partner Kelly Gillespie.

The Embassy of Israel had not responded to our late request for comment by the time of publication.

The Women’s Boat is one of several maritime attempts to break the blockade on the Palestinian coastal enclave.

Maguire stated that “we are not a threat to Israel. We are a threat to this blockade”.

Before her departure to join the Women’s Boat, Naidoo said: “Even though we have a choice, the possibility to not hear and not see the injustices next door or far away, is not an option.” Her mission, she explained, was “to take a message of solidarity from South Africa to especially the women and children of occupied Gaza”.

“While we are cautious and at some level afraid of facing one of the most well-funded military operations on the planet, this small act of solidarity is the least we can do to continue to highlight the plight of occupied Palestine. We are in high spirits,” stated Naidoo, who wrote to The Star from the vessel.