Lest anyone imagine that the recent attempt by a ship containing aid for distressed Palestinians was without precedent, they should consult a cartoon in the Sydney Morning Herald of 28 July 1995 by Alan Moir.

The ship leased by some conscientious Australian MPs, mostly from New South Wales, set out to enter the nuclear testing zone established by France. The side of the vessel was daubed with the slogan “Murorua or bust”.

Eugene Doyle has reminded Pearls and Irritations readers of this distressing period in Pacific history when the rights of Islanders were ignored by colonial powers. Whether today’s Labor leadership will learn anything from this history is a debatable.

Today two Australians along with other activists of conscience are illegally detained by Israel. Tania Safi and Robert Martin joined a vessel Handalah which aimed to break the humanitarian aid blockade around Gaza. According to news reports, the activists’ vessel was seized by Israel in international waters. This might well be described as an act of piracy.

Earlier this year, another attempt was made to bring aid to Gaza. On that occasion the media concentrated on climate activist Greta Thunberg, perhaps seeking to undermine her reputation. At least the activists on that ship, the Madleen, did not suffer the fate of those on the 2010 mission which saw some 10 people killed during the Israeli boarding.

Peaceful protest can expose government extremism on one side and inaction on the other. The Greenpeace protest ship Rainbow Warrior was sunk in Auckland in 1985 and the French Government thereby forfeited any claim to being an honest broker in the area on the issue of nuclear testing.

The Lange Labor Government in New Zealand joined the popular groundswell by demanding to know whether visiting US warships should tell the government if they were nuclear armed. In showing that independent thought is possible, the Lange Government effectively ended the then ANZUS Treaty and embarrassed Australia’s Hawke Labor Government. Hawke’s own party conferences supported a nuclear-free Pacific.

While Australians made several attempts to take direct action over nuclear testing in the Pacific 50 years ago, some encountered technical problems. Nevertheless, they did try and, in doing so, set an example which challenged governments to take stronger action. History has shown that their efforts were morally correct and eventually effective.

The same applies to the Handalah. If Australia wants to be on the correct side of history, it needs to protest loudly about the seizure of Safi and Martin. It is unfortunate that the Labor Governments of Australia and New South Wales have shown greater enthusiasm for silencing the critics of Israel’s genocide in Gaza than on pursuing the perpetrators of war crimes.

Critics might deride the Handalah actions as merely symbolic and as a futile attempt to breach the iron ring Israel has established around Palestine. But if nothing else, such “freedom flotillas” demonstrate to the world that Israel as occupying power has no respect for international law. They also demonstrate to our prevaricating and obfuscating political leaders that direct action could be used effectively by them.

Part of the reason our supposedly democratic governments want to squash protests is that they might embarrass their real master, the US. As with so many events relating to the hypocritical western stance on Palestine, the ready abandonment of the right to protest shows that the US alliance is toxic for everyone. To remain silent is to be complicit in genocide.

Why do those who tut-tut about Israel’s actions not gather at the northern border of Palestine and demand entry? They, no doubt, think that they could mount valid arguments against such action, but it would be informative if tiresome to watch them wriggle.

The views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Pearls and Irritations.