AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin man who took part in a flotilla that tried to bring aid to Gaza has returned to Central Texas after being detained and deported by Israeli authorities.
Friends and supporters greeted US Army veteran Greg Stoker when he arrived home Tuesday night at Austin Bergstrom International Airport. He was aboard one of more than 50 vessels as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was stopped Oct. 1 by Israeli naval forces.
Outside the airport, Stoke spoke about the attempt to reach Gaza.
“We forced governments to have to get involved in what was going on. It didn’t really make a huge difference in the political aspect, but it did move the ball forward and prove it is not completely irrelevant what happened there,” Stoker said.
Stoker said he was taken to a detention camp near the Egyptian border with other detainees before his ultimate deportation. Israeli authorities have denied mistreatment accusations leveled by some activists since their release and deportation to their home nations.
He also said that “he was not given access to any lawyers while under detention and was only able to get on the charter flight arranged by the Slovakian government due to the pressure his representatives have been putting on.”
Austin For Palestine Coalition (AFPC), who organized the welcoming party, said their welcome was for more than just Stoker.
“This is … a moment of solidarity to the hundreds of activists who risked their individual safety to deliver aid to Gaza,” AFPC said. “Stoker’s return to Austin will serve as a call to continue demanding accountability and unrestricted humanitarian access for the people of Palestine.”
AFPC said Stoker was one of five U.S. veterans aboard the flotilla.
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, in September called for the safe passage of the flotilla as well as showed his support for the mission.
“My constituent Greg Stoker and others on the Global Sumud Flotilla should be granted safe passage to deliver critical aid to those starving in Gaza,” Doggett’s post said. “Let’s continue to speak out to stop the killing, help those suffering, and demand compliance with international law.”
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