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Chris Smalls Is Coming Home; Will This Shake the US Labor Movement Into Action on Gaza?
Despite Smalls' high-profile success at Amazon, the majority of American unions ignored his beating by the IDF.
Jul 31, 2025
Early Thursday morning, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition announced that Amazon Labor Union founder Chris Smalls had been released from Israeli prison.
According to the group, Smalls is currently on his way to the Allenby Bridge border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan. From Jordan, he is expected to fly to JFK.
Labor Party USA, an organization founded by Smalls, confirmed on Instagram that they were planning a welcoming party for him at KFK Airport on Friday morning.
Smalls' detention and arrest caused international outrage.
With Smalls returning to the United States, it will be interesting to see whether he speaks publicly about his beating at the hands of the IDF, which will draw more attention to the plight of Palestinians within the labor movement.
On Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) boarded the Handala, a ship associated with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, that was attempting to reach Gaza with supplies for starving Palestinians. The IDF detained 21 activists, who had their hands held up, in graphic images that the Freedom Flotilla Coalition captured.
On Monday, details emerged that not only was Smalls detained, but he was physically beaten by the IDF. He was the only Black member of the Freedom Flotilla on the Handala.
"The Freedom Flotilla Coalition confirms that upon arrival in Israeli custody, U.S. human rights defender, Christian Smalls, was physically assaulted by seven uniformed individuals," wrote the Freedom Flotilla Coalition on Instagram. "They choked him and kicked him in the legs, leaving visible signs of violence on his neck and back."
Still, despite Smalls having been profiled by every major media outlet in the U.S. when he successfully led the union drive at Amazon, not a single major media outlet has covered his violent detention by the IDF five days ago.
Even worse, the majority of American unions ignored his beating by the IDF.
Teamsters President Sean O'Brien, whose union the Amazon Labor Union is affiliated with, has yet to denounce his detention. Instead, O'Brien, who famously spoke in praise of Trump at the Republican National Convention last summer, took to social media Tuesday to promote an interview with Tucker Carlson.
Association of Flight Attendants president Sara Nelson did denounce the IDF's beating of Smalls.
"If this is how the IDF treats American citizens traveling with media attention, it brings even more credibility to the reports of their abuses of Palestinian civilians," Nelson wrote on Bluesky late Wednesday. "I stand in solidarity w/ my brother Chris, the civilians in Gaza and all working towards peace and dignity for all. End this horror."
While most American unions stayed silent, the 750,000 member Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the largest union in Canada, did denounce the IDF's treatment of Smalls.
"CUPE stands in solidarity with U.S. labour leader Chris Smalls and all the activists unlawfully detained by Israel while on board the Freedom Flotilla Handala, delivering aid to Gaza," CUPE wrote on Bluesky late Wednesday. "We condemn this brutality and call for their immediate release."
With Smalls returning to the United States, it will be interesting to see whether he speaks publicly about his beating at the hands of the IDF, which will draw more attention to the plight of Palestinians within the labor movement.
The Amazon Labor Union called on the rest of the labor movement to mobilize to denounce the detention of Amazon Labor Union founder Chris Smalls.
"We honor the call from Palestinian labor unions to disrupt the arms trade and support global workers' actions such as strikes, direct protests, and other efforts," the Amazon Labor Union said in a statement.
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US Gaza Freedom Flotilla Members Say No Consular Support Given After Abduction by Israeli Forces
Flotilla members said labor organizer Chris Smalls—the last remaining American volunteer still in Israeli custody—was brutally assaulted by his captors.
Jul 30, 2025
The Trump administration failed to provide any consular support to American volunteers kidnapped last week by Israel Defense Forces troops in international waters while trying to deliver humanitarian aid to starving Gazans, freed U.S. detainees said Wednesday.
"No U.S. Embassy officials have visited us or inquired about our condition—despite our repeated appeals," detained professor Frank Romano, a citizen of both the U.S. and France, said before his transfer Wednesday to an unspecified Israeli airport for deportation.
Four other Handala volunteers who were aboard the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) vessel Handala—Vigdis Bjorvand (Norway), Santiago González Vallejo (Spain), Braedon Peluso (United States), and Sergio Toribio Sanchez (Spain)—were also taken to the airport for deportation on Wednesday. Two other Americans aboard the Handala, attorney Huwaida Arraf and 77-year-old Bob Suberi, were released earlier from Israeli custody along with some of the other 19 FFC volunteers who were seized.
One American, Amazon Labor Union (ALU) co-founder Chris Smalls, remains in Israeli detention at Givon Prison, along with Hatem Aouini of Tunisia.
According to the Israeli legal advocacy group Adalah: "They are being held in overcrowded, poorly ventilated cells, without ventilation or cooling, despite the extreme summer heat. They are being denied basic hygiene supplies, and their sleeping areas are infested with bedbugs. With no yard time, they remain confined in closed rooms all day, without fresh air or space to move."
FFC said Smalls—the only Black activist aboard the Handala—"was physically assaulted by seven uniformed individuals" after his capture, which occurred without resistance.
"They choked him and kicked him in the legs, leaving visible signs of violence on his neck and back," the coalition said in a Tuesday Instagram post. "When his lawyer met with him, Christian was surrounded by six members of Israel's special police unit. This level of force was not used against other abducted activists."
Jacob Berger, an American actor aboard the Handala who arrived in New York on Tuesday, said in an Instagram video that Smalls "is in great spirits" and "appreciates all the support and love" he's received. "Remember, we have to keep all eyes on Gaza."
Still, advocates questioned why the mainstream media has given little coverage to Smalls, a public figure who met with former President Joe Biden at the White House after leading the drive to unionize Amazon warehouse workers in New York.
Chris Smalls met w/ Biden at WH, but not ONE major outlet covered the IDF detaining & beating Smalls w/ @freedomflotilla.bsky.social. Smalls was choked & beaten by 7 IDF soldiers. paydayreport.com/amazon-union...
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— Mike Elk (@mikeelk.bsky.social) July 29, 2025 at 2:48 AM
"Despite Smalls having been profiled by every major media outlet in the U.S. when he successfully led the union drive at Amazon, not a single major media outlet has covered his violent detention by the IDF three days ago," Payday Report senior labor reporter Mike Elk wrote Tuesday.
Elk called out Teamsters president Sean O'Brien, who "has stayed silent on the detention of Smalls, who founded the Amazon Labor Union, which is now an affiliate of the Teamsters."
Pretty hard to believe that the particularly heinous and brutal treatment Christian Smalls was subjected to by Israeli authorities was not a function of racism given it was not inflicted on other Handala detainees.And the US media dgaf.
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— Nathan Kalman-Lamb (@nkalamb.bsky.social) July 29, 2025 at 4:53 AM
The executive board of ALU-IBT Local 1 said on social media Tuesday, "We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all detained activists aboard the flotilla, an end to targeted racist treatment, and we call on the broader labor movement to take a stance for Palestinian liberation."
"Gaza has been under a relentless and inhumane military assault for nearly two years," the board added. "This genocide has caused mass starvation, the forced displacement of millions, and the intentional deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians. There is an immediate need for unrestricted food and medical aid to Gaza."
On Tuesday, the Gaza Health Ministry said that the death toll from Israel's 662-day assault and siege on Gaza topped 60,000, although that figure is likely a vast undercount, according to multiple peer-reviewed studies.
Also on Tuesday, the United Nations-affiliated Integrated Phase Food Security Classification warned that the "worst-case scenario" has already taken hold in Gaza, where half a million people are enduring famine-like conditions, more than 20,000 children have been treated for malnutrition since April, and at least 147 people—including at least 88 children—have died of starvation, according to U.N. and local officials.
The Handala was the third FFC vessel to attempt to break Israel's decadeslong blockade and deliver aid to Gaza since Israel launched its war and siege on Gaza after the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack.
In May, the Conscience was attacked twice in international waters off Malta, presumably by Israeli forces. No one was harmed in what FFC said was a drone strike on the ship. However, the activists were forced to abort their mission.
Last month, Israeli forces seized the U.K.-flagged Madleen and detained its crew members as they sought to deliver food, children's prosthetics, and other supplies to Gaza. FFC volunteers aboard the Madleen included Rima Hassan—a member of the European Parliament—and Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.
Fifteen years ago, Israeli forces raided an FFC convoy carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. The Israeli attackers killed nine FFC volunteers aboard the MV Mavi Marmara, including Turkish-American teenager Furkan Doğan.
FFC volunteers vowed to keep trying to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza, despite the risks to their lives and liberty.
"Our countries are allowing Israel to deliberately starve Palestinians as part of this genocidal campaign that it has been carrying out. And we are horrified and not going to sit by and not do anything about it," Arraf told Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman during a Monday interview.
"We will not stop," Arraf added. "So we are actively working on another one. We want the whole world to see the extent to which Israel goes to prevent baby formula from getting into Gaza, and hopefully rise up in all ways possible. Until the siege is broken, the genocide ends, and Palestine is free, we will continue sailing."
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Despite 2 Sabotage Attempts, the Gaza Flotilla Ship Handala Sails Onward
The Handala departed for Gaza on July 20, 2025 with 21 participants, including seven U.S. citizens.
Jul 21, 2025
Mere hours before the Gaza Freedom Flotilla ship Handala was to sail with 21 participants on board, in the Italian port of Gallipoli, two attempts to sabotage the ship were made.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition stated in its Instagram:
Just hours before departure, the Handala faced two alarming incidents: a rope wrapped around the propeller and a delivery labeled as water that contained a corrosive chemical, injuring crew members. These may be calculated attempts to harm us and stop our mission.
We will not be intimidated. We sail for the children of Gaza—against siege, starvation, and slaughter. We sail to break Israel’s illegal blockade and deliver lifesaving aid and hope.
We call on the world to demand accountability and ensure safe passage for this civilian mission.
Despite the two attempts at sabotage, the Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition sailed its next ship to break the illegal Israeli blockade of Gaza.
The Handala departed for Gaza on July 20, 2025 from the Italian port of Gallipoli after stops in Augusta and Siracusa in Sicily. The journey to Gaza may take around seven days.
Twenty-one persons from 10 countries are onboard the Handala, including seven U.S. citizens, representing the hundreds of millions of Americans who are strongly opposed to U.S. complicity in the Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.
The following nationalities are represented on the Handala: USA, 7; France, 4; Australia, 2; Italy, 2; Spain, 2; Norway, 1; Morocco, 1; Tunisia, 1; United Kingdom, 1; and Israel—two U.S. citizens have dual citizenship with Israel.
U.S. Citizens on the Handala
Huwaida Arraf from Detroit, Michigan is a Palestinian who is a citizenship in both the U.S. and Israel. She was on several of the small boats that actually got into Gaza in 2008. She was also on the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla on the boat named Challenger One. She is a human rights lawyer. She is a steering committee member of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition and U.S. Boats to Gaza.
Braedon Peluso from New York is a mariner with over a decade of experience at sea, much of it dedicated to activism in marine conservation and sea rescue organizations. In 2024, he was part of the Handala mission.
Frank Romano is a U.S.-French citizen from New York City and Paris. He is a human rights lawyer and filmmaker. He has been in the West Bank many times.
Robert Suberi is a U.S.-Israeli citizen from St. Louis, Missouri. He has been a crew member of Handala during two sailings in Northern Europe. He has done accompany work in the West Bank.
Chris Smalls from New Jersey is an American labor organizer known for his role in leading Amazon worker organization on Staten Island, New York. He is a cofounder and the former president of the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) (2021-24).
Jacob Berger is a Jewish-American from Los Angeles. He is an actor and has done humanitarian work for Palestinians who have arrived in Cairo. He is active on social media.
Waad Aal Musa is an Al Jazeera journalist, news producer, and photographer, originally from Iraq, but now a U.S. citizen.
Other Participants on the Handala
Emma Fourreau is a member of European Parliament from France and also claims Sweden. She was a volunteer on the ship Sea Shepard.
Grabielle Cathala is a member of the French Parliament who worked as a humanitarian worker in Haiti and Congo.
Vigdis Bjorvand is a 70-year-old activist from Norway. A grandmother, she says she never wants her grandchild to say, “Grandma, you didn’t do anything.” She was on the Handala in 2023.
Antoinio La Piccirella is a mariner from Italy with worldwide activist experience.
Sergio Toribio Sanchez is a maritime mariner from Spain. He was also on the flotilla ship Madleen last month and filed a lawsuit against the Israeli government for involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the attack on the Madleen.
Ange Sahuquet is a maritime engineer from France who served on the activist boat Sea Shepard.
Santiago González Vallejo is a Spanish activist with the flotilla coalition partner Rumbo a Gaza.
Tan Safi from Australia has been a key part of the flotilla media team creating many Instagram posts for the various voyages since 2024.
Mohamed El Bakkali is an Al Jazeera journalist from Morocco.
Antonio Mazzeo is an award-winning journalist from Italy. In 2020, he was awarded the “Golden Dove for Peace” by the Archivio Disarmo in recognition “for having interpreted journalism and writing for years as a mission to defend human rights and denounce injustice.”
Robert Martin is a member of Australian Boats to Gaza and is a social media influencer.
Justine Kempf is a nurse from France who has worked with Doctors Without Borders in Congo and will be the medical person onboard.
Chloe Ludden recently resigned her position working with the United Nations in New York because of the Israeli genocide of Gaza and is from the U.K. and France.
Hatem Aouini is a longtime activist from Tunisia.
The ship has been in the Gaza Flotilla fleet since 2023 and made two Northern European educational community voyages before arriving in the Mediterranean in 2025.
Monitor the progress of the Handala voyage here.
Update on Other Flotilla Ships
The ship Conscience that was bombed by Israel in international waters off Malta in May 2025 is in Turkey. The international maritime community has still not investigated the bombing of a civilian ship in international waters.
The unarmed, civilian ship Madleen that was stolen from the Gaza Freedom Flotilla 110 nautical miles off Gaza in international waters is illegally seized and remains in Israel. The participants who were kidnapped, arrested, and taken against their wills to Israel are all home after having been imprisoned in Israel and deported.
We Will Not be Deterred by Sabotage Attempts
As stated in our Instagram post: “We will not be intimidated. We sail for the children of Gaza—against siege, starvation, and slaughter. We sail to break Israel’s illegal blockade and deliver lifesaving aid and hope. We call on the world to demand accountability and ensure safe passage for this civilian mission.”
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