1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,560 Speaker 1: The three New Zealand citizens on the flotilla to Gaza 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:05,080 Speaker 1: have arrived home. They touched down in Auckland about a 3 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: couple of hours ago. Samuel Leeson was one of the 4 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:07,920 Speaker 1: detained activists. 5 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 2: Hi, Sam, Hey, how are you. I'm very well, thank 6 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:11,440 Speaker 2: you good to be home. 7 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 3: Ah, yeah, it's great, it's yeah. The big relief, big 8 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:16,920 Speaker 3: relief in lead. 9 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:17,320 Speaker 2: Now. 10 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 1: The last I heard, you guys were in Jordan, which 11 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: is where our authorities basically you know, left you. 12 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:22,599 Speaker 2: How'd you get home? 13 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 3: Well, yeah, our socies didn't actually make any contact with us. 14 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 3: It was all done through through the UK, so we 15 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 3: were you know, we haven't. We didn't hear a single 16 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:38,080 Speaker 3: thing from New Zealand, aside from the fact that Winston 17 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:40,839 Speaker 3: Peters said that he wasn't going to do a thing 18 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 3: for us. 19 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 2: I don't think that's strictly true. 20 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 1: He said that he would be making sure that you 21 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: guys got out of Israel safely and to Jordan, I think, 22 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:50,239 Speaker 1: and then from there it was on you. 23 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, but we had no wallet, phone or any means 24 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 3: to get home to give into your part. Well, when 25 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 3: we were think intercepted illegally, we were in international warders 26 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 3: and we didn't want to give the ide if yeah, 27 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 3: information of of our personal life. So I chucked my 28 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 3: phone overboard along with everyone else. 29 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 2: And Andrew Wallace, well, I didn't. 30 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 3: I didn't get any of the stuff that was taken 31 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 3: from me back. So the only thing I got back 32 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:25,040 Speaker 3: was a little two dollars rings. Every every single other 33 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 3: thing was stolen. 34 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 2: Okay. 35 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 1: So so you got to Jordan. 36 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:29,720 Speaker 2: How'd you get home? 37 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:40,960 Speaker 3: Uh? The the GSFUH organizations helped us out because we 38 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 3: were the only we were one of the only countries 39 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 3: that didn't didn't get helped home by our government. All 40 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 3: the other countries had had there, you know, the country 41 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 3: delegate people them. 42 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: In terms of the people who were on the flotterer 43 00:01:56,920 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: with you, the countries that they had come from actually 44 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 1: paid to take them home. 45 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, majority of them did. They were when they when 46 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 3: we arrived in Jordan, they were received with open arms. 47 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 3: They got you know, they had given food was given 48 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,640 Speaker 3: to them, you know, lollies and treats. And we arrived 49 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 3: to a few UK people who told us that they 50 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 3: would drive us to a hotel and that was it. 51 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: And so just New Zealand, the only country that didn't 52 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 1: didn't bring its people home. 53 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:32,600 Speaker 3: No, I think America received similar similar YEA treatment yet, 54 00:02:32,639 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 3: and so did the UK. I think actually a few 55 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 3: of the UK people got detained and arrested up here. 56 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:41,799 Speaker 1: Hold on, whoa, the UK arrested their people? 57 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 3: Uh, you have the fact check that. I only heard 58 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 3: that recently as I was driving Dick. But that's what 59 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:48,399 Speaker 3: I heard. 60 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 2: Okay. 61 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 1: Now, Sam, since you've since you've managed to get out 62 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:54,000 Speaker 1: and get to Jordan and get home, you will have 63 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 1: seen what's transpired in in Gaza with the peace deal. 64 00:02:56,880 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 2: How are you feeling about that? 65 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 3: I think I feel that if Alvar and Gaza believe 66 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:08,200 Speaker 3: that this is this is the right move for them, 67 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 3: then I will obviously back there. Yeah, I support I 68 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:15,320 Speaker 3: support what they think is right. It's their their lives 69 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:18,760 Speaker 3: in their lands that is in the balance here, so 70 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:21,520 Speaker 3: if they if they support it, then I'll support it 71 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:22,119 Speaker 3: as a Yeah. 72 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 2: Well, it's great news, isn't it. 73 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 1: The guns are gonna that, the fighting is going to stop, 74 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 1: the shooting is going to stop, the hostages are going 75 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:28,800 Speaker 1: to get out, and food is going to get in. 76 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:31,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, but this the seven of the past. You know, 77 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 3: there's been two other ceasefires and neither of them are 78 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 3: held up. 79 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 2: So not to this point, so not to this point, 80 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 2: that way, not. 81 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 3: To this point, so like not to this we. 82 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:46,640 Speaker 1: Have not got we have not we have not got 83 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 1: to the point where Hamas has agreed to release the 84 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 1: hostages and the Israeli parliament has agreed to it. 85 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah, I guess, yeah, that is true. They ever 86 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 3: worked out, it'll be it'll be amazing, it'll be great. 87 00:03:57,040 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 2: Yeah. 88 00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: Well, Sam listen, thanks for your time. Welcome home, Sam 89 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: Lee and Gaza activists detained by Israel, just landed home 90 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: a couple of hours ago. For more from Hither Duplessy, 91 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 1: Allen Drive, listen live to news talks it'd be from 92 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 1: four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio