'They called me a Nazi': US veteran who was abducted from Gaza aid vessel recalls torture in Israel

Washington, DC — When Israel began to raid aid vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla earlier this month, TRT World promptly reported that five US veterans were among those whom Israel had abducted.

Susan "Zue" Jernstedt, Greg Stoker, Zuleyka "Mo" Rivera, Phil Tottenham, and Jessica Clotfelter were aboard the Ohwayla, the flotilla's leading vessel.

In an interview with TRT World, Tottenham, who recently returned safely to the US, said that Israel's torture began the moment the aid vessels were attacked a few nautical miles from besieged Gaza.

"After Israel illegally boarded and intercepted us at gunpoint in international waters about 47 nautical miles from Gaza, we were led below deck and made to sit in uncomfortable positions for roughly 12 hours, as we pulled into Ashdod eventually," Tottenham said.

"After getting to the port, we disembarked after a couple of hours and were aggressively guided to spots on the inclined pavement of a loading dock, which were marked by columns and rows of other participants, each either being forced to kneel or forced to sit with their head facing down," he added.

Prior to that point, the US veterans' prolonged and arduous period of mistreatment under Israeli custody was only just beginning.

'Ben-Gvir paraded in front of us'

Upon arrival, the true ordeal commenced as they were marshalled at the port, akin to prisoners.

"Held in these uncomfortable positions for over an hour, (Itamar) Ben-Gvir was then paraded out in front of us, where he called us terrorists, and we hurled truths back at him," Tottenham said, referring to the notorious Israeli security minister.

"Some would be taken away and beaten for vocalising their support for Palestine. Others of us were threatened with immediate rushing of police officers. Others remained silent."

Following Ben-Gvir's departure, Tottenham noted that all abductees, including elders, had their hands tightly zip-tied, leading to numbness.

"After Ben-Gvir left the area, we were almost immediately zip-tied with our wrists bound painfully tight, behind our backs. We would be in this position for five more hours. Some elderly men were clearly in pain. I was in pain. And some couldn't feel their hands, as circulation had been cut off," he said.

He said the Israelis knew they were veterans after seizing his military jacket, despite neither Tottenham nor other veterans explicitly stating their status.

"During this time, it was when the police made me take off my military jacket, along with my Air Palestine shoes, while calling me a Nazi. So, while they never said anything one way or the other, that led me to believe they knew we were veterans; I'm pretty certain they did," Tottenham stated.

Six days of psychological torture

Subsequently, the activists, including US veterans, underwent immigration processing, and their possessions were discarded.

"After we were processed in the immigration centre, I watched as my belongings were thrown away, as these thugs tried telling me how lovely Israel is," he said.

"After being paraded around and had my neck tattoo shown to every police officer in there, as it is the outline of Palestine filled in as a watermelon, I was zip-tied in front this time, blindfolded and then placed into a 2.5' x 3' paddy wagon cell alongside a boatmate…for our two-hour journey to the prison."

Tottenham stated they endured psychological torture during their five-day illegal abduction without charge.

"Over the course of the next five days we would be held illegally and without charges in Kzn'iot prison, we would experience lots of psychological torture from being threatened with guns and laser sights and dogs and with real threats of being beaten to sleep deprivation 'games' to playing October 7 propaganda in a continual loop…being denied showers and time outside of our cell," he explained.

He stated some half of those abducted initiated a hunger strike, protesting Israeli torture and unlawful detention.

"I was dedicating mine to bring attention to Mohammed Ibrahim, the 16-year-old Floridian being held in an Israeli prison for over seven months without a trial. He needs to be released now," Tottenham added.

In February, Israeli forces abducted the teenager in the occupied West Bank, following his detention during a family trip.

More than 100 US-based faith, human rights and civil rights organisations have called on the US government to intervene for the release of the Palestinian-American citizen imprisoned by Israel.