Basque Police Beat Global Sumud Flotilla Torture Survivors in Spain
NEWS, 25 May 2026
Ahmed Eldin | OutLoud - TRANSCEND Media Service
23 May 2026 – The video from Bilbao Airport today is as brutal as it is bewildering. Six Basque activists walk through arrivals, fresh from being intercepted, detained, and abused by Israeli forces while attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, carrying physical and psychological scars from their encounter with the Israeli military.
Basque police beating Israeli torture survivors is institutional.
These are the same cops who’ve taken €1.6M in Israeli security contracts, trained by former Mossad agents, and equipped with Israeli surveillance tech.
Basque police, the Ertzaintza, descended on Loiu Airport with batons drawn. They attacked the activists and the friends and family who had gathered to welcome them home. Four people were arrested, charged with “desobediencia grave, resistencia y atentado a agente de la autoridad” — the standard playbook for criminalizing solidarity.
The images are shocking: police beating people who had just survived Israeli captivity. People being dragged and handcuffed as they step off a plane, bringing back evidence of Israeli war crimes.
The Ertzaintza presents itself as a different kind of police force. Created in 1982 as part of Basque autonomy, it’s supposed to be more responsive to local communities, and less like the centralized Spanish national police.
The truth is, the Ertzaintza has a long-standing, multifaceted relationship with Israel that goes far beyond the Spanish government’s official positions on Palestine.
Let’s be clear about what we’re talking about:
Technology & Equipment: The Ertzaintza has purchased Israeli technology and equipment for years. Its phone-tapping system comes from Verint Systems, an Israeli company with deep ties to Israeli military intelligence. An Israeli firm, ICTS, has managed security at some of their facilities. They’ve used Israeli body armor, surveillance cameras, and listening devices.
Training & Services: The Ertzaintza has participated in training from Israeli sources, including courses from Guardian Defense & Homeland Security — a company run by a former Mossad agent that has provided “live fire” training to Spanish police.
Financial Ties: These aren’t minor transactions. Basque institutions have reportedly spent over €1.66 million on contracts with Israeli-linked security companies. In 2021 the Ertzaintza signed a contract for €3,569.50 just for “supply of stun and distraction grenade carriers” from these same Israeli sources.
This is the institutional reality that contradicts the political rhetoric.
For years, Israel has aggressively cultivated relationships with European police forces through security training programs. Companies like Israeli Tactical School, International Protection Services, and ISA Security Academy market themselves as premier counter-terrorism experts. Their instructors come from Shin Bet, the Israeli secret service. Their doctrine emphasizes aggressive tactics, crowd suppression, and treating dissent as security threat.
The Israeli Tactical School openly boasts of training “security professionals worldwide” in “counter-terrorism and executive protection.” Their curriculum includes “close-quarters battle” and “counter-surveillance” — tactics designed for high-risk environments that aren’t exactly what you’d expect at an airport arrivals gate.
When Israeli forces sexually assault, torture, and brutalize international activists bringing aid to Gaza, those actions send a clear message to every police force they’ve trained: “This is how you handle people who challenge us. And you should be doing the same.”
While Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has positioned himself as a critic of Israeli actions in Gaza, calling for investigations and even suspending the EU-Israel association agreement, the institutional reality on the ground tells a different story.
The Spanish government may condemn Israeli atrocities in public statements, but its security apparatus maintains deep ties with Israeli military and security contractors.
This explains why the Ertzaintza behaved the way they did in Bilbao. They’re part of a security ecosystem that views Palestinian solidarity activists through the same lens as Israeli security forces.
It’s the same logic that allows far-right agitator Dani Esteve to publicly call for bombing the flotilla and lead demonstrations in Madrid with complete impunity. When the system views Palestinian solidarity as a threat to national security — a lesson learned from Israeli counterinsurgency doctrine — it will act accordingly.
Why Bilbao? Why Now?
Timing matters. The Global Sumud Flotilla arrived as global pressure on Israel reaches unprecedented levels. South Korea has condemned Israeli actions. The Netherlands has banned settlement products. Even in the US, the pro-Israel lobby is losing ground with more Americans sympathizing with Palestinians rather than Israelis for the first time.
Israel and their proxies know they’re losing the battle for global legitimacy. So they’re doubling down on repression — not just in occupied territories, but in European cities too.
The Ertzaintza’s attack was an attack on the credibility of Spain’s entire Palestine position. It exposed the hypocrisy of a government that talks solidarity while practicing complicity.
This is the contradiction at the heart of European “solidarity” with Palestine. You can condemn Israeli genocide in Brussels while your police enforce the same logic of repression domestically. You can call for accountability while your institutions actively suppress the movement demanding that accountability.
The contrast between Barcelona and Bilbao tells the story. In Barcelona, the activists were welcomed by Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun, who called for investigations into Israeli “tortures” and denounced the interception as “piracy.” In Bilbao, they were met with batons and arrests.
This is about the fundamental contradiction between Spain’s supposed solidarity with Palestine and its institutional entanglement with Israel’s security apparatus.
The activists who sailed for Gaza weren’t just bringing humanitarian aid — they were bringing back evidence of Israeli war crimes. And in that evidence lies a challenge to the very system that profits from Israeli technology and training.
When the police attacked them in Bilbao, they were attacking the activists and attacking the evidence. They were actually attacking the truth, protecting the institutional ties that bind them to the same security logic that abuses Palestinians.
The Spanish government can condemn Israeli atrocities all it wants. But until it cuts the institutional ties that train police in Israeli security doctrine, until it stops purchasing Israeli surveillance technology, until it ends the contracts with Israeli security firms — its words will remain empty.
The activists who survived Israeli captivity only to be attacked by Spanish police understand this reality better than anyone. They’ve seen firsthand how the same logic of control and violence connects Tel Aviv to Bilbao.
The Real Question
The real question is why any police force would choose alignment with an occupying power over protecting their own citizens.
When Ertzaintza beat people welcoming home activists who survived Israeli detention, they were protecting the system that allows Israeli forces to commit torture with impunity. They were protecting the illusion that Spain can be a genuine ally to Palestine while its institutions do Israel’s dirty work at home.
Another world is possible. But it won’t be built by police forces that beat activists for supporting freedom. It won’t be built by governments that condemn Israeli genocide while enabling it at home.
The Basque activists understood this. That’s why they sailed to Gaza. And that’s why Ertzaintza was so damn afraid of them coming home.
Meanwhile, Israel is busy gaslighting the world:
https://x.com/israelmfa/status/2058209600940212412
________________________________________________
Ahmed Eldin – Independent journalist, actor & producer formerly NYT, HBO, VICE, PBS, BBC, and Al Jazeera.
Tags: Activism, Basque Country, Cultural violence, Direct violence, Gaza, Genocide, Global Sumud Flotilla, Israel, Palestine, Police brutality, Spain, State Terrorism, Structural violence, Violence
DISCLAIMER: The statements, views and opinions expressed in pieces republished here are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of TMS. In accordance with title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. TMS has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is TMS endorsed or sponsored by the originator. “GO TO ORIGINAL” links are provided as a convenience to our readers and allow for verification of authenticity. However, as originating pages are often updated by their originating host sites, the versions posted may not match the versions our readers view when clicking the “GO TO ORIGINAL” links. This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
One Response to “Basque Police Beat Global Sumud Flotilla Torture Survivors in Spain”
Join the discussion!
We welcome debate and dissent, but personal — ad hominem — attacks (on authors, other users or any individual), abuse and defamatory language will not be tolerated. Nor will we tolerate attempts to deliberately disrupt discussions. We aim to maintain an inviting space to focus on intelligent interactions and debates.
Open Letter to The Editorial Board and Contributors of Transcend Media Service
Subject: A Respectful Appeal for Collective Moral Agency Beyond Commentary and TMS Publications.
Dear Esteemed Professors, Senior Members and Founders of Global Peace Organisations, Editorial Board Members, Scholars, “Moral Heirarchists” and Contributors to Transcend Media Service.
I read your publications in the recent issues of TMS, noting a thread of commonality expressed in support of the ongoing plight of Palestinians. I commend your stance. Thank you for accepting my second appeal, appended as an open plea, to engage in a collective effort to highlight the problem of ongoing suffering, torture and genocide of 72,764+ Palestinians, with over 10,000 reportedly vapourised by the collective allies of Israel. The global silence is indeed abysmal, in this major humanitarian crisis of the 21st century.
With humility and deep respect for the intellectual legacy of TMS, founded on the principles of peace journalism and the visionary work of Professor Johan Galtung (MHSRIEP), I write to you as a fellow contributor, committed to the shared pursuit of justice, dignity, peace and global harmony. I trust that in your frenetic schedules you will kindly read this document with good intentions.
Recent reports published within TMS, including those addressing the plight of flotilla activists and the ongoing suffering of Palestinian civilians, reflect the moral clarity and courage that have long defined this platform. These contributions illuminate injustice with scholarly rigour and human compassion.
Yet, I write today with a gentle but earnest question:
Can we, as a community, move from witnessing to collective moral action?
In March 2026, I submitted a draft memorandum proposing that TMS, as a body of globally respected thinkers and “Titans of Peace Propagation” consider endorsing an urgent humanitarian appeal to the United Nations. The intention was not to impose unanimity, but to explore whether our shared ethical commitments might find expression in a unified call for:
• immediate ceasefire measures,
• protection of civilians,
• The targeted killings of journalists
• Blatant violations of the different Geneva Conventions
• accountability under international law,
• and renewed multilateral engagement through the United Nations system.
I fully appreciate that TMS is not traditionally an advocacy institution, and that editorial independence is essential to its integrity. However, I respectfully submit that:
There are moments in history when moral scholarship may justifiably seek a collective voice.
The events currently unfolding, whether involving flotilla activists, civilian populations, or broader regional instability in the Middle East, pose profound challenges not only to international law, but to our shared humanity.
I wish to clarify that this appeal is not a criticism of editorial decisions, nor an expectation of institutional uniformity. Rather, it is an invitation:
An invitation to individual conscience
Should a collective institutional endorsement be impractical, perhaps an alternative path may be considered:
• voluntary endorsement of the memorandum by individual contributors,
• publication of parallel perspectives exploring actionable peace mechanisms,
• or informal cooperation toward engaging established UN humanitarian channels.
TMS has long illuminated the path toward peace.
Might it now, in some form, help to gently walk that path together?
I remain deeply grateful, appreciative and indebted for the platform TMS provides, under the editorial baton of the long serving and esteemed Professor Antonio Carlos Siva Rosa, as well as for the tireless efforts of its editorial Board and contributors. My intention is not to burden, but to contribute, however modestly, to the living tradition of peace through scholarship and ethical engagement, which forms the very basic tenets of peace propagation, as initiated by the late Professor Johan Galtung (MHSRIEP)
With respect, sincerity, solidarity and hope,
Hoosen Vawda
Peace Propagator
Durban, South Africa
Global: + 27 82 291 4546
e-mail: vawda@ukzn.ac.za
Dated: Tuesday 26th May 2026
Reference: TMS/Cont/26052026/RHV1