Imprisoned youth worker home safe

Sydney youth worker and activist Michael Coleman is back in Sydney after spending five days in an Israeli prison.
Mr Coleman was on board the Canadian boat Tahrir with other international peace activists as part of the Freedom Waves initiative. The initiative sailed two boats from ports in Turkey across the Mediterranean Sea toward Gaza to challenge Israel’s ongoing blockade and deliver much-needed medical aid to the region.
The boats were forcibly intercepted by the Israeli military in international waters about 50 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza on November 4.
The Israeli military fired water canons at the boats before heavily armed soldiers boarded and forcibly redirected them into an Israeli port, confiscating all belongings, impounding the boats and the medical aid, and detaining all journalists and activists on board.
Democracy Now journalist Jihan Hafiz who was also on board the Tahrir reported upon her release that Israeli military were “very forceful” with Mr Coleman during the interception.
“They dragged him to the other side of the boat. They had guns to his back, as well as to his head, as they frisked him. And they even had lasers pointed at his chest,” Ms Hafiz said, who described Mr Coleman as the “most defiant” of those on board the Tahrir.
Other activists from the boats to Gaza reported being beaten, tasered, strip searched and held for days by Israeli authorities.
Mr Coleman arrived at Sydney airport on Friday afternoon, one week after his capture by Israeli military. He was greeted by family and friends.
“I’m ecstatic to be back on home soil and reunited with my family but I’m well aware that there are millions of Palestinians that are denied the chance to experience this joy and they have waited much longer than I,” Mr Coleman said upon arrival.
“We wanted to draw attention to the collective punishment of the people of Gaza, which is being forced through an illegal blockade that has been in place since 2007. This blockade has resulted in 80 per cent of the people of Gaza becoming reliant on the UN for basic human needs such as medical care.”
“It’s a privilege to stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine … I’ll continue to go back until Palestine is free,” he said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed they were aware of Mr Coleman’s situation but refused to supply a public statement.
Both the Foreign Affairs Minister Kevin Rudd and Prime Minister Julia Gillard failed to respond to questions about Mr Coleman’s capture and detention in Israel.
Mr Coleman received messages of support from many prominent Australians including independent journalist John Pilger who said: “[Israel] kidnapped you and your comrades because they fear the growing moral outrage of the world; all criminal regimes harbour this dread of a known truth.”