David Schermerhorn
WHAT HAPPENED
David Schermerhorn, an 80-year-old American film producer from Orcas Island, Washington, was injured on May 31, 2010, when Israeli naval commandos raided the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in international waters roughly 70 nautical miles off the coast of Gaza. Schermerhorn was a crew member aboard the U.S.-flagged Challenger 1, one of six vessels attempting to break Israel's naval blockade and deliver humanitarian aid. According to his attorneys, a stun grenade thrown by Israeli forces exploded about a foot from his head, causing permanent partial loss of sight in one eye; he and other passengers were then restrained, taken by force to Israel, detained for three days, and deported. In 2016 he joined three others in Schermerhorn v. State of Israel, the first U.S. lawsuit over the raid; courts dismissed it, citing Israel's sovereign immunity. He died in 2018 at age 89.
TESTIMONY
“In Gaza, I saw a resilient people living through appalling restrictions with grace and fortitude.” — David K. Schermerhorn, Challenger 1 crew member
SOURCES
DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR
This case is documented, public, and unanswered. Send it to the people who represent you — the record only matters if someone is made to answer for it.