Shona Murray

Now, what happened to your boat?

Because in the event you were not abducted or interfered with by the Israelis?

So you were actually marooned and had to be rescued by the Turkish Coast Guard in the end?

Correct.

Correct.

Now, when you read or heard of the accounts of what happened to the other people on the flotilla who'd been intercepted by the Israelis, the abuse and so on, were you surprised based on your own previous experience?

And why do you think that is, that this interception was more violent than previous ones?

Now, the question of why flotillas keep trying to get through to Gaza when it's almost inevitable what will happen, there will be an interception by the Israelis, people will be made prisoner, people might be abused, and ultimately they will be sent home.

And you have to ask yourself, to what effect?

Now, you have succeeded in bringing this to the world's attention.

Even in the United States, they've taken notice of the actions of Israel and the antics of its minister when people were made prisoner.

You've succeeded in that, but will it have any more lasting effect, do you think?

So ultimately, that is the result you're hopeful of with repeated flotillas, and these will continue until such action is taken by the international community.

Correct.

Maureen, thank you very much for joining us.

Now, aside from these flotilla efforts to highlight the plight of the Palestinian people, has Brussels either the legal mechanisms or the political appetite to use economic leverage in response to the war in Gaza and the activities of Israel?

Well, Europe correspondent...

Shona Murray is on the line and also Barry Andrews, Fianna Fáil MEP for Dublin.

Shona, good morning and welcome.

First of all, tell us, what is the appetite in Brussels to do something because the world is outraged at the impunity of the Israelis?