{ "article": { "title" : "Rima Hassan Onboard the Freedom Flotilla", "author" : "Céline Semaan", "category" : "essays", "url" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/readings/rima-hassan-onboard-of-flotila", "date" : "2025-05-31 13:03:00 -0400", "img" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/uploads/478A1381.jpg", "excerpt" : "Rima Hassan, a French-Palestinian Member of the European Parliament (MEP), has embarked on a humanitarian mission aboard the ‘Madleen,’ a vessel organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. This initiative aims to challenge the ongoing blockade of Gaza and deliver essential aid to its residents. Accompanying Hassan is Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, along with other international activists, underscoring the global solidarity behind this endeavor.", "content" : "Rima Hassan, a French-Palestinian Member of the European Parliament (MEP), has embarked on a humanitarian mission aboard the ‘Madleen,’ a vessel organized by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. This initiative aims to challenge the ongoing blockade of Gaza and deliver essential aid to its residents. Accompanying Hassan is Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, along with other international activists, underscoring the global solidarity behind this endeavor.In an exclusive interview with Céline Semaan for Everything is Political, Hassan delves into the motivations, risks, and aspirations tied to this voyage. She emphasizes the mission’s objectives: to condemn the humanitarian blockade, highlight the ongoing crisis in Gaza, and galvanize international awareness and action.Hassan’s participation reflects her longstanding commitment to advocating for Palestinian rights and addressing humanitarian issues. Born in the Neirab refugee camp near Aleppo, Syria, she relocated to France at the age of nine. After acquiring French citizenship in 2010, she pursued a career in law and activism, founding the ‘Refugee Camps Observatory’ in 2019. Her political journey led her to join La France Insoumise (LFI) in 2023, and she was elected to the European Parliament in 2024.The Freedom Flotilla’s mission not only seeks to deliver aid but also to draw international attention to the conditions in Gaza. Hassan and her fellow activists hope that their actions will inspire global support and prompt meaningful change.The interview is in both English and French.CÉLINE: Rima, tu es à board du Flotilla, je devais y être aussi, je vous enveloppe de prières. Avez-vous à bord des aidespour Gaza? Qu’apportez-vous?Rima, you are on board the Flotilla, I was supposed to be there too, I am enveloping you in prayers. Do you have aid for Gaza on board? What are you bringing?RIMA: Oui il y a un danger pour tout l’équipage, il y a 3 scénarios possibles : On arrive à Gaza On est arrêté en milieu de chemin soit par Israël soit par des forces alliées à Israël. On peut même être arrêtés par l’OTAN Soit on est attaqués, le dernier bateau a été attaqué en eaux internationales près de Malte par des dronesPour l’instant Israel ne s’est pas publiquement prononcé sur notre action mais nous savons que nous sommes surveillés par différentes autorités.📌 Yes there is a danger for the whole crew, there are 3 possible scenarios: We make it to Gaza We are stopped in the middle of the way either by Israel or by forces allied with Israel. We can even be stopped byNATO Or we are attacked, the last flotilla boat was attacked by drones in international waters near MaltaIsrael has not publicly commented on our action, but we know that we are being monitored by different authorities.CÉLINE: Y-a-t-il un danger immédiat?Is there an immediate danger?RIMA: Les menaces me concernant elles sont continues depuis mon entrée en politique et depuis que je dénonce publiquement le génocide, l’équipe qui se prépare n’est pas pour le moment individuellement menacée mais encore une fois nous savons que nous sommes surveillés de près et faisons très attention à notre préparation, on se prépare à tous les scénarios📌 The threats against me have continued since I entered politics and since I publicly denounce the genocide, the team that is preparing is not individually threatened at the moment but once again we know that we are closely monitored and pay very attention to our Preparation, we prepare ourselves for all scenarios.CÉLINE: Que devons-nous savoir?What should we all know?RIMA: Le dernier navire qui a été attaqué avait décidé de partir sans communiquer, sans campagne de sensibilisation, pensant arriverdiscrètement à destination, cette fois-ci pour nous protéger nous avons décidé de lancer une campagne de sensibilisation en prenant le temps et le soin de communiquer sur la raison d’être de cette action et ce qu’elle symbolise politiquement sur le blocus à Gaza, on compte sur la mobilisation citoyenne pour dissuader toute attaque contre nous.📌 The last ship that was attacked had decided to leave without communicating, without an awareness campaign, thinking of arriving discreetly at its destination, this time to protect ourselves we decided to launch an awareness campaign by taking the time and care to communicate about the reason of being of this action and what it politically symbolizes on the blockade in Gaza, we rely on citizen mobilization.CÉLINE: Comment pouvons-nous vous protéger?How can we protect you?RIMA: Vous pouvez donc nous aider en nous soutenant publiquement et en donnant de la visibilité à cette action.📌 You can therefore help us by publicly supporting us and giving visibility to this action." } , "relatedposts": [ { "title" : "100+ Years of Genocidal Intent in Palestine", "author" : "Collis Browne", "category" : "essays", "url" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/readings/100-years-of-genocidal-intent", "date" : "2025-10-07 18:01:00 -0400", "img" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/uploads/1920-jerusalem.jpg", "excerpt" : "Every single Israeli prime minister, president, and major Zionist leader has voiced clear intent to erase the Palestinian people from their lands, either by forced expulsion, or military violence. From Herzl and Chaim Weizmann to Ben-Gurion to Netanyahu, the record is not ambiguous:", "content" : "Every single Israeli prime minister, president, and major Zionist leader has voiced clear intent to erase the Palestinian people from their lands, either by forced expulsion, or military violence. From Herzl and Chaim Weizmann to Ben-Gurion to Netanyahu, the record is not ambiguous:{% for person in site.data.genocidalquotes %}{{ person.name }}{% if person.title %}<p class=\"title-xs\">{{ person.title }}</p>{% endif %}{% for quote in person.quotes %}“{{ quote.text }}”{% if quote.source %}— {{ quote.source }}{% endif %}{% endfor %}{% endfor %}" } , { "title" : "Dignity Before Stadiums:: Morocco’s Digital Uprising", "author" : "Cheb Gado", "category" : "", "url" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/readings/dignity-before-stadiums", "date" : "2025-10-02 09:08:00 -0400", "img" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/uploads/EIP_Cover_Morocco_GenZ.jpg", "excerpt" : "No one expected a generation raised on smartphones and TikTok clips to ignite a spark of protest shaking Morocco’s streets. But Gen Z, the children of the internet and speed, have stepped forward to write a new chapter in the history of uprisings, in their own style.The wave of anger began with everyday struggles that cut deep into young people’s lives: soaring prices, lack of social justice, and the silencing of their voices in politics. They didn’t need traditional leaders or party manifestos; the movement was born out of a single hashtag that spread like wildfire, transforming individual frustration into collective momentum.", "content" : "No one expected a generation raised on smartphones and TikTok clips to ignite a spark of protest shaking Morocco’s streets. But Gen Z, the children of the internet and speed, have stepped forward to write a new chapter in the history of uprisings, in their own style.The wave of anger began with everyday struggles that cut deep into young people’s lives: soaring prices, lack of social justice, and the silencing of their voices in politics. They didn’t need traditional leaders or party manifestos; the movement was born out of a single hashtag that spread like wildfire, transforming individual frustration into collective momentum.One of the sharpest contradictions fueling the protests was the billions poured into World Cup-related preparations, while ordinary citizens remained marginalized when it came to healthcare and education.This awareness quickly turned into chants and slogans echoing through the streets: “Dignity begins with schools and hospitals, not with putting on a show for the world.”What set this movement apart was not only its presence on the streets, but also the way it reinvented protest itself:Live filming: Phone cameras revealed events moment by moment, exposing abuses instantly.Memes and satire: A powerful weapon to dismantle authority’s aura, turning complex political discourse into viral, shareable content.Decentralized networks: No leader, no party, just small, fast-moving groups connected online, able to appear and disappear with agility.This generation doesn’t believe in grand speeches or delayed promises. They demand change here and now. Moving seamlessly between the physical and digital realms, they turn the street into a stage of revolt, and Instagram Live into an alternative media outlet.What’s happening in Morocco strongly recalls the Arab Spring of 2011, when young people flooded the streets with the same passion and spontaneity, armed only with belief in their power to spark change. But Gen Z added their own twist, digital tools, meme culture, and the pace of a hyper-connected world.Morocco’s Gen Z uprising is not just another protest, but a living experiment in how a digital generation can redefine politics itself. The spark may fade, but the mark it leaves on young people’s collective consciousness cannot be erased.Photo credits: Mosa’ab Elshamy, Zacaria Garcia, Abdel Majid Bizouat, Marouane Beslem" } , { "title" : "A Shutdown Exposes How Fragile U.S. Governance Really Is", "author" : "EIP Editors", "category" : "", "url" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/readings/a-shutdown-exposes-how-fragile-us-governance-really-is", "date" : "2025-10-01 22:13:00 -0400", "img" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/uploads/EIP_Cover_Gov_ShutDown.jpg", "excerpt" : "Each time the federal government shutters its doors, we hear the same reassurances: essential services will continue, Social Security checks will still arrive, planes won’t fall from the sky. This isn’t the first Governmental shutdown, they’ve happened 22 times since 1976, and their toll is real.", "content" : "Each time the federal government shutters its doors, we hear the same reassurances: essential services will continue, Social Security checks will still arrive, planes won’t fall from the sky. This isn’t the first Governmental shutdown, they’ve happened 22 times since 1976, and their toll is real.Shutdowns don’t mean the government stops functioning. They mean millions of federal workers are asked to keep the system running without pay. Air traffic controllers, border patrol agents, food inspectors — people whose jobs underpin both public safety and economic life — are told their labor matters, but their livelihoods don’t. People have to pay the price of bad bureaucracy in the world’s most powerful country, if governance is stalled, workers must pay with their salaries and their groceries.In 1995 and 1996, clashes between President Bill Clinton and House Speaker Newt Gingrich triggered two shutdowns totaling 27 days. In 2013, a 16-day standoff over the Affordable Care Act furloughed 850,000 workers. And in 2018–2019, the longest shutdown in U.S. history stretched 35 days, as President Trump refused to reopen the government without funding for a border wall. That impasse left 800,000 federal employees without paychecks and cost the U.S. economy an estimated $11 billion — $3 billion of it permanently lost.More troubling is what happens when crises strike during shutdowns. The United States is living in an age of accelerating climate disasters: historic floods in Vermont, wildfire smoke choking New York, hurricanes pounding Florida. These emergencies do not pause while Congress fights over budgets. Yet a shutdown means furloughed NOAA meteorologists, suspended EPA enforcement, and delayed FEMA programs. In the most climate-vulnerable decade of our lifetimes, we are choosing paralysis over preparedness.This vulnerability didn’t emerge overnight. For decades, the American state has been hollowed out under the logic of austerity and privatization, while military spending has remained sacrosanct. That imbalance is why budgets collapse under the weight of endless resources for war abroad, too few for resilience at home.Shutdowns send a dangerous message. They normalize instability. They tell workers they are disposable. They make clear that in our system, climate resilience and public health aren’t pillars of our democracy but rather insignificant in the face of power and greed. And each time the government closes, it becomes easier to imagine a future where this isn’t the exception but the rule.The United States cannot afford to keep running on shutdown politics. The climate crisis, economic inequality, and the challenges of sustaining democracy itself demand continuity, not collapse. We need a politics that treats stability and resilience not as partisan victories, but as basic commitments to one another. Otherwise, the real shutdown isn’t just of the government — it’s of democracy itself." } ] }