The Global Sumud Flotilla is currently preparing to embark on the final leg of its journey to the besieged enclave, in an attempt to break Israel’s blockade and deliver much-needed humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people.
Hickey, 43, from Cork, spoke to The National while onboard the Amala vessel, one of the three main ships taking part in the flotilla.
Hickey spoke to The National from Tunisia, where the Amala is currently docked, as the flotilla prepares to make the final leg of its journey to Gaza.
He said: “When I set out, it wasn’t something that I necessarily wanted to do. I had no experience of boats at all.”
READ MORE: Keir Starmer to meet Israeli president Isaac Herzog, Downing Street confirms
While Hickey was reluctant to spend time away from his three children – one of whom is just 16 weeks old – he added that he has the support of his family, community and “pro-Palestine activists in Ireland and around the world”.
“Even though there’s short-term pain for doing this, like missing family and being a bit uncomfortable, in the long term it will definitely be worth it,” Hickey said.
He added that the response from people close to him has been “universally positive”.
“There was probably a bit of shock when I first told people, they’re understandably worried about me, nobody wants me to get hurt – we’re dealing with the most unpredictable, malevolent army in the history of modern times,” he told The National.
“When I said goodbye to my family, I couldn’t in good conscience say it’ll be fine, because I can’t guarantee that it will be fine.”
Despite this, Hickey has “no fear” about the journey, as he said: “I know that we’re on the right side of history.
“If Israel abducts us, it would be kidnapping, another war crime to add to the litany of war crimes.”
Hickey said that the mission was not about the activists taking part, but the Palestinian people.
“The attention on the flotilla is a conduit to attention on Gaza, that’s our whole purpose,” he said.
READ MORE: Keir Starmer reported to ICC for ‘crimes against humanity’ over Chagos Islands deal
“The most positive messages I’m getting are people from Gaza, who send me messages every day saying, ‘When are you coming?’. They write messages on the beach.
“When you get those messages from people from Gaza, any other kind of worry goes out of my head.”
Hickey said the flotilla missions were “the best type of resistance people in the West can offer”.
He told The National: “Our best weapon is the marches, the protests and the flotilla. I think it’s growing, and Israel’s got a really big problem in it on its hands because of the expansion of the flotilla project.”
Hickey said that around 26,000 people had initially applied to take part in the Global Sumud Flotilla, demonstrating the strength of support from people around the world.
“If we had boats for all of them, who knows how many ships would be trying to get to Gaza as we speak,” he added.
‘Ireland is Palestine’
Hickey is part of the Irish delegation of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which also includes human rights activist Tara O’Grady and Fra Hughes, the volunteer director of Palestine Aid.
He told The National that it was important for Ireland to be represented, pointing towards what he called the “pathetic” record of his own government.
The comedian said: “Ireland is Palestine. If Irish people can’t see themselves in the starving, emaciated people of Gaza right now – when our history is in many ways defined by man-made starvation – are you really Irish at all?
“We were dehumanised, we had an attempted extermination campaign against us, and the perpetrators felt that it was okay because they were ethnically superior to us.
Hickey called on the Irish government to “do anything” and to “stop relying on the Irish people to take matters into their own hands”.
“Just like the UK Government, the Irish Government has said or done nothing about this,” he said.
READ MORE: Leading media outlet ‘banned’ from major arms fair attended by 50 Israeli firms
“They don’t endorse this flotilla, they don’t offer us any diplomatic protection. It’s so pathetic.”
The Global Sumud Flotilla is the largest civilian mission of its kind in history.
It is made up of more than 50 boats carrying civilians from 44 different countries, including the UK.
The National previously spoke with James Hickey, a 52-year-old removals driver from Glasgow who is part of the UK delegation.
Meanwhile, the UK Government has refused to offer protection to any of the UK civilians taking part.
