Imelda Graham, mother of activist Catriona Graham, who was seen to be assaulted and mocked by Israeli authorities in a video that surfaced this week, spoke to The Hard Shoulder on Newstalk.

The mother of one of the Irish activists detained and deported by Israel said the violence against activists critical of Israel's treatment of Palestinians had "gotten worse".

Irish flotilla members detained by Israel have landed in Turkey after being deported and are now en route home to Ireland, expected home Saturday. 

Speaking to journalists after they descended their plane in Turkey, they denounced the use of violence and humiliation tactics by Israeli authorities.

Imelda Graham, mother of activist Catriona Graham, who was seen to be assaulted and mocked by Israeli authorities in a video that surfaced this week, spoke to The Hard Shoulder on Newstalk.

She told host Ciara Kelly she was relieved that her daughter was on the way home.

“I’m very relieved but above all else this seems to have made a turning point in the whole campaign and the whole mission that’s been carried on for years to support Palestinians”, she said. 

“I think it’s really unfortunate that it's taken a bully, hitting a white woman, to actually activate this change. 

“But if it's a turning point and it works and it helps, that's terrific.”

She said that while it has been difficult to get a hold of her daughter, they planned to speak to her more upon her return to Ireland. 

Violence against activists in Israel

Ms Graham also revealed the treatment her daughter faced while being detained by Israel. 

“She was strip searched twice, which was very unpleasant”, she told The Hard Shoulder. 

“Cat herself has bruises and sores.

“There were a number of people who suffered sexual assaults, often in front of the other participants, which is appalling. 

“There's a lot of accounts and pictures and videos of people and their injuries. It's much worse than the last time.

“The violence this year has definitely been much worse. When I was looking at the footage, it didn’t look like what we’d seen in the past. Something has changed.

Israel’s security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir shoved and mocked flotilla activists.

Ms Graham speculated that the increase of violence may have been due to the fact that the “flotilla’s mission was beginning to make an impact”. 

“I think they really want to shut it down”, she told Ciara Kelly. 

“It's a much bigger mission than just the boats but the boats are, you know, a very important element of the public part of this. 

“And one of the heartbreaking things for me the last few days is the disappointment. 

“You saw videos, we saw lovely videos of little children standing on the beach with their families watching for the boats. It's heartbreaking to think that they didn't get there.”

Ms Graham said that it was unclear whether new flotillas would be organised yet: ‘they need to regroup and replan, strategise and see what will happen.”

Main Image: Activists arrive at the Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport in Athens. Image by: AP Photo.