Israel’s national security minister drew a rare rebuke from Benjamin Netanyahu and sparked a huge global backlash after releasing videos taunting detained flotilla activists who tried to breach Israel’s blockade of Gaza.
Itamar Ben-Gvir released footage on Wednesday showing him walking among some of the approximately 430 detainees and telling them they should be jailed for a long time.
“Welcome to Israel, we are the landlords,” says Ben-Gvir, waving a large Israeli flag. One handcuffed activist shouts “Free Palestine” as Ben-Gvir walks by and is immediately pushed to the ground by security personnel.
Netanyahu said that although Israel has every right to stop “provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters”, the way Ben-Gvir dealt with the activists was “not in line with Israel’s values and norms”.
In another video, Ben-Gvir says the activists “came here all full of pride like big heroes. Look at them now,” while appealing to Netanyahu to permit him to imprison them.
“I say to Prime Minister Netanyahu, give them to me for a long, long time, give them to us for the terrorist prisons,” Ben-Gvir said.
Netanyahu said he’s given instructions that the activists be deported “as soon as possible”.
Ben-Gvir also drew the ire of Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar, who publicly chastised his fellow minister on X, saying “you knowingly caused harm to our State in this disgraceful display”.
“No, you are not the face of Israel,” Saar wrote.
Ben-Gvir shot back at Saar in the Israeli parliament, accusing him of “bowing to the terrorists” and that any Israeli apology to the activists would send a message of “weakness”, “submission” and “surrender”.
An Israel-based legal advocacy group, the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, or Adalah, accused Israeli authorities of “employing a criminal policy of abuse and humiliation against activists”.
Adalah’s statement said this followed similar patterns of ill-treatment by Israeli authorities against activists in previous flotilla missions “for which Israel faced zero accountability”.
Adalah lawyer Suhad Bishara said a group of 11 lawyers who visited the detainees is aware of at least two activists who were hospitalised after being shot with rubber bullets “for no reason, without any justification”. Bishara said the activists will be brought before a judge on Thursday, who will decide when their deportation will begin.
Flotilla spokesperson Rania Batrice said Ben-Gvir posts such videos because the world hasn’t held Israel to account.
“If they’re doing that to Europeans and Americans and people from South Africa and all over the world, imagine what they’re doing to the Palestinian people,” Batrice said.
Batrice urged governments to step up their response. “Strongly worded letters are not what we need right now. We need more action.”
Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said the video “violates the most basic standards of respect and dignity” in how people should be treated and demanded an explanation from Israeli authorities.
Italy condemned the detained activists’ treatment as a violation of human dignity and called Ben-Gvir’s videos “unacceptable”. It also summoned Israel’s ambassador in Rome to protest the treatment of Italian detainees and demand their immediate release. Canadian foreign affairs minister Anita Anand said she’s directed her officials to summon the Israeli ambassador to Ottawa.
Both Turkey and Greece also condemned Israel’s treatment of the activists. The Turkish Foreign Ministry said the behaviour “openly demonstrated to the world the violent and barbaric mindset” of Israel’s government. The Greek Foreign Ministry called Ben-Gvir’s actions “unacceptable and entirely condemnable” and said it had lodged a formal protest.
Palestinian militant group Hamas called out Ben-Gvir for the “scenes of abuse and humiliation” of the activists, saying they show Israel’s “moral decadence and sadism”.
Israeli forces on Tuesday boarded the last of the flotilla boats that tried to challenge the blockade – the latest effort to highlight the grim conditions for nearly 2 million Palestinians in Gaza.
Flotilla organisers claimed Israeli soldiers fired on five boats during the interdictions, causing some damage. Israel’s Foreign Ministry said no live ammunition was fired and that “nonlethal means” were aimed at the vessels as a warning, but without targeting or injuring protesters.
Israeli forces had begun stopping the flotilla, which had departed last week from Turkey, around 268km (166 miles) from the Gaza coastline, according to the flotilla’s website.
Below are some national and international reactions to the footage posted on X by the minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, on Wednesday:
EUROPEAN UNION
European Council President Antonio Costa said he was “appalled” by Ben-Gvir’s treatment of aid flotilla members attempting to enter Gaza. “This behaviour is completely unacceptable. We call for their immediate release,” Costa said.
UNITED KINGDOM
Britain summoned Israel’s chargé d’affaires over the video, with its foreign ministry saying the content “violates the most basic standards of respect and dignity for people.” Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said she was “truly appalled” by the video.
ITALY
Italy’s government said that Israel’s treatment of flotilla activists was unacceptable and that it would summon the Israeli ambassador for an explanation. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani demanded an apology for the activists’ treatment and what they called Israel’s “total disrespect” for Italy’s requests.
SPAIN
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the images were unacceptable and said Spain “will not tolerate anyone mistreating our citizens.” Sanchez added that his government would push for Spain’s ban on Ben-Gvir entering the country to be urgently extended across the European Union.
FRANCE
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said he had summoned the Israeli ambassador after the video emerged, calling Ben-Gvir’s actions “unacceptable.” Barrot said French citizens must be treated with respect and freed as soon as possible, while adding that he opposed the flotilla’s approach.
ISRAEL
The backlash also prompted criticism within Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the interception of the flotilla but said Ben-Gvir’s treatment of the activists was “not in line with Israel’s values and norms”. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar criticised Ben-Gvir over the treatment of the activists, saying he had harmed Israel in a “disgraceful display” and undermined the work of Israeli soldiers and diplomats.
“No, you are not the face of Israel,” Saar said in a post on X.
IRAN
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman condemned the video images, saying they recalled “the darkest echoes of history” and said Western silence over what he called occupation, apartheid and genocide risked normalising “lawlessness and atrocity.”
POLAND
Poland’s foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski said he had summoned the Israeli chargé d’affaires over the detention of the activists, demanding their immediate release and an apology. He also requested that the interior ministry ban Ben-Gvir from entering Poland, a spokesperson said.
IRELAND
Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee said 14 Irish citizens who joined the flotilla are in buses on their way to Istanbul from where they will be deported. “We have raised in no uncertain terms the horror and dissatisfaction at the way in which our citizens have been treated,” McEntee told parliament.
GREECE
Greece urged Israel to release its detained nationals. Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said: “We call on the Israeli authorities to proceed with the rapid completion of all procedures and the immediate release of the Greek citizens.”
CANADA
Canada said it would summon the Israeli ambassador in protest at the video, described by Foreign Minister Anita Anand as “deeply troubling and absolutely unacceptable.” Prime Minister Mark Carney later described Israel’s treatment of the detained activists as “abominable” and “unacceptable.”
NETHERLANDS
The Netherlands will summon Israel’s ambassador over what it called the “unacceptable” treatment of the activists. Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said the images were “shocking”, adding he had raised the matter with Israel’s foreign minister.
THE UNITED STATES
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee criticised Ben-Gvir over the treatment of the detained activists, saying that while the flotilla was a “stupid stunt,” Ben-Gvir had “betrayed the dignity” of Israel with his handling of the detainees.
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