Giulio Meotti is an Italian journalist for Il Foglio and a writing fellow at the Middle East Forum who writes a twice-weekly column for Arutz Sheva (Israel National News). His opinion pieces on the platform frequently focus on the decline of Western culture, contemporary antisemitism, and the threat of Islamist extremism.
The problem with the Flotilla, to quote Mark Steyn, is the same as “the problem with the United Nations: if you mix ice cream with a bit of dog s---, the result will always taste like dog s--- and not like ice cream."
Apparently, millions of Westerners like ice cream with dog s---.
It was well known to everyone that those involved in the Flotilla were dangerous, useless idiots. All it took was looking beyond the shallow morning headlines in the newspapers.
Now we have discovered the presence of three prominent faces from the Flotilla at none other than the funeral of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
“We will help you keep this revolution alive." Speaking in front of supporters of the Islamic Republic gathered for Ali Khamenei’s funeral, Brazilian activist Lisi Proença said: “The Global South, united, will put an end to American imperialism. We are here to tell the Iranian people that we stand with you. Tell us what you need."
Proença is one of the faces of the Global Sumud Flotilla, who arrived in Iran together with Irishman Tadhg Hickey and Brazilian lawyer Ariadne Teles, both also part of the Flotilla.
Hickey describes Iran as “the center of anti-imperialism," while Teles states: “Before arriving here, I only knew Iran through Western media. I found a completely different reality. Khamenei is like Fidel Castro, Che Guevara - all those revolutionaries who led their people toward freedom."
Freedom?
In the name of the “Global South," here is the alliance that unites real oppressors with imaginary oppressed.
True solidarity, for those safe in the West, should be directed toward the populations oppressed by these regimes, not toward their executioners in ideological uniform.
Thiago Avila, one of the best-known faces of the Flotilla, had even attended the funeral in Beirut of Hezbollah’s dear leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Hickey had also been at Nasrallah’s funeral along with Tara Reynor O’Grady, who is also on the Flotilla.
Another well-known face of the Flotilla, MEP Rima Hassan, is currently on trial in Paris defending herself against charges of “apology for terrorism."
The Flotilla has brought no help to the people of Gaza, but plenty of publicity to Hamas and many mirrors to the West. And what it reflects is hideous - even if millions of Westerners are crazy about ice cream with dog s---.