'We need to confront evil': Cork comedian Tadhg Hickey to join Gaza aid flotilla

Climate activists Greta Thunberg and Thiago Ávila are also expected to take part in the Global Sumud Flotilla which will see dozens of boats and ships from 44 countries set sail on August 31

Tadhg Hickey: 'Whatever I will go through with the IDF will be an absolute drop in the ocean compared to what Palestinians are going through at their hands every single day of the week.' File picture: David Creedon

Cork comedian and activist Tadhg Hickey is set to join a global flotilla that will attempt to break the naval blockade by bringing “vital” humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

The Global Sumud Flotilla will see dozens of boats and ships from 44 countries set sail on August 31. Led by a union of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the Global Movement and the Maghreb Sumud Convoy, the fleet is set to sail from Spain and will be joined by other groups on September 4 in Tunisia.

Climate activists Greta Thunberg and Thiago Ávila are expected to take part in the flotilla, which aims to arrive in the Gaza Strip between September 16 and September 17.

The United Nations has said 514,000 people are currently experiencing famine in Gaza.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg on the Madleen boat before setting sail for Gaza along with activists of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition in June. File photo: AP/Salvatore Cavalli

Mr Hickey said he hopes the global movement will end up as a “win for humanity and an eye-opener for the world.” The father of three said it is up to ordinary people to "rise up and not be complicit in this hell anymore".

“If it were up to me, if I were a single man, I wouldn’t have any hesitation about going whatsoever, but I have to be cognisant of my kids,” he said.

A previous flotilla, the Madleen, which was carrying 12 passengers - including Ms Thunberg and French MEP Rima Hassan – was seized by Israeli naval forces about 201km off the Gaza coast. The activists were detained by the Israeli military before being deported.

Mr Hickey said he did not fear arrest by the IDF, but feared his family would worry about him being incarcerated.  “It’s because there are no red lines with these people,” he said.

“There was a time when I could say to my partner and my family, ‘Don’t worry ... they just target Palestinians'. But they have broken so many red lines in the past 22 months that I cannot in good conscience tell my family, ‘No, I’ll be safe, don’t worry’.

“That’s a bit scary from my family’s point of view, but on a personal level, we need to confront evil," Mr Hickey said.

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

"Whatever I will go through with the IDF will be an absolute drop in the ocean compared to what Palestinians are going through at their hands every single day of the week. I believe that eventually the world is going to do the right thing and allow safe passage for vital aid.” 

Mr Hickey said he hopes the flotilla will shame world leaders.

"There are ordinary people on this boat, nobody’s being paid, everyone’s taking time out of their lives,” he said. “The last thing I want to do is be away from my young kids for three weeks, but here’s where we are at.”