Israeli Minister’s Videos Prompt Global Criticism

Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, faced international criticism after releasing videos that showed detained activists from a flotilla attempting to breach the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. The videos depict Ben-Gvir walking among approximately 430 detainees, who had been detained after arriving on navy vessels.

In the footage, activists are seen with their hands bound behind their backs, kneeling with their heads on the ground in what appears to be a temporary detention area at Ashdod port and on the ship’s deck. Ben-Gvir waves an Israeli flag, telling the detainees, “Welcome to Israel. We are the landlords.” In response, a handcuffed activist shouts “Free Palestine” before being pushed to the ground by security personnel.

In another video, Ben-Gvir comments that the activists “came here all full of pride like big heroes” and appeals to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow him to imprison them.

The video’s release prompted a swift response from several countries. Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands summoned Israel’s ambassadors to explain the treatment of their citizens. Organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla reported that activists from over 40 countries, including the sister of Irish President Catherine Connolly, were aboard the flotilla intercepted in international waters.

Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee expressed her dismay, calling for the “immediate release” of those detained. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticized the actions as violating “human dignity,” while South Korean President Lee Jae Myung described them as “way out of line.” British Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper criticized Ben-Gvir’s conduct for “violating basic standards of respect.”

Greece’s Foreign Affairs Ministry condemned the incident as “unacceptable,” while Turkey accused the Israeli government of operating with a “violent and barbaric mindset.”

Prime Minister Netanyahu, whose coalition relies on Ben-Gvir’s far-right Jewish Power party, expressed partial disapproval, stating that while Israel has the right to stop “provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters,” Ben-Gvir’s actions did not align with Israel’s values. He instructed that the detainees should be deported “as soon as possible,” countering Ben-Gvir’s call for imprisonment.