PM issues
rare rebuke, says conduct doesn't reflect Israeli values
Ben Gvir
posts video of himself taunting bound and detained Gaza flotilla activists,
sparks global outcry
Clip
shows minister waving Israeli flag as activists forced to kneel on ground and
national anthem blasts over loudspeaker; Italy, France summon Israeli envoys
over treatment of their citizens
By ToI
Staff, Agencies and Nava Freiberg Follow
20 May
2026, 5:24 pmUpdated: Today, 3:20 am
National
Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir posted a video on Wednesday in which he is
seen taunting activists from a Gaza flotilla intercepted by Israel, immediately
sparking an international outcry.
Dozens of
activists can be seen in the clip forced to kneel on the ground, with their
hands tied, at an Ashdod port facility where they were being processed ahead of
their likely deportation.
Those
aboard the flotilla intercepted by Israel earlier this week included Italian
and Spanish nationals, whose governments said they would summon the respective
Israeli ambassadors in their countries for a reprimand over Ben Gvir’s
behavior. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a rare rebuke of the
far-right cabinet member he appointed, insisting that the national security
minister’s conduct was not in line with Israel’s values.
The video
begins with a female activist shouting “Free Palestine,” before being grabbed
by the head and shoved to the ground by officers who drag her out of Ben Gvir’s
way, as he tours the facility.
The
treatment of the detainees appeared akin to security forces’ handling of the
most severe terrorists in the prisons overseen by Ben Gvir’s office, which has
also prompted allegations of abuse.
With
dozens of bound activists kneeling on the ground, Ben Gvir is seen waving a
large Israeli flag and shouting in Hebrew, “Welcome to Israel! We are in charge
here!”
Another
shot pans through the kneeling activists, as Israel’s national anthem is
blasted over a loudspeaker. Ben Gvir is subsequently seen shouting “Am Yisrael
Chai” (the nation of Israel lives) at a bound detainee trying to argue with
him.
Ben Gvir
is also heard urging guards at the facility “not [to] be bothered by their
screams,” as a woman can be heard crying out in the background.
International
furor
Italian
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the clip “unacceptable,” taking issue with
the treatment of activists that violated their human dignity. Italy’s foreign
ministry said a member of the country’s parliament and a journalist were among
those detained.
Meloni
wrote on X that her government was taking immediate steps at the highest levels
to secure the release of all Italian citizens who were detained.
“Italy
further demands an apology for the treatment of these demonstrators and for the
utter contempt shown toward the explicit requests of the Italian government,”
she said, adding that Israel’s ambassador in Rome would also be summoned.
French
Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot tweeted that he too had summoned Israel’s
ambassador in Paris over the mistreatment of the French nationals aboard the
flotilla.
“Whatever
one thinks of this flotilla — and we have indicated on several occasions our
disapproval of this initiative — our compatriots who are participating in it
must be treated with respect and released as quickly as possible,” he wrote.
Citizens
of South Korea were also among those detained by Israeli naval forces,
President Lee Jae Myung said on Wednesday, calling Israel’s actions “way out of
line.”
Spain and
Ireland also issued statements, calling out Ben Gvir’s “monstrous” and
“appalling” behavior.
Even US
President Donald Trump’s administration issued a rare critique, branding Ben
Gvir’s actions “despicable.
“Flotilla
was stupid stunt, but Ben Gvir betrayed dignity of his nation,” wrote US
Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on X.
PM, FM
criticism
As the
international outcry quickly mounted, Netanyahu issued a rare statement
criticizing one of his own ministers.
“Israel
has every right to prevent provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters
from entering our territorial waters and reaching Gaza. However, the way that
Minister Ben Gvir dealt with the flotilla activists is not in line with
Israel’s values and norms,” Netanyahu said.
“I have
instructed the relevant authorities to deport the provocateurs as soon as
possible,” the premier added.
Foreign
Minister Gideon Sa’ar posted a sharper reprimand of Ben Gvir in English from
his personal X account, which was also shared by the Foreign Ministry’s
official feed.
“You
deliberately caused damage to the state with this disgraceful performance, and
not for the first time,” Sa’ar wrote, addressing Ben Gvir. “You squandered
enormous, professional, and successful efforts made by many, many people—from
IDF soldiers to Ministry of Foreign Affairs employees and many other fine
individuals.”
“No, you
are not the face of Israel,” Sa’ar wrote.
According
to the Kan public broadcaster, Israel Prisons Service Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi
— who is considered a close ally of Ben Gvir — gave the go ahead for the
minister to tour the facility where the activists were held, as well as them
being restrained, forced to kneel on the ground and having him parade around
with an Israeli flag and blasting Hebrew music.
The
prisons service insisted in a statement to Haaretz that the detention of the
activists was “carried out in accordance with procedure and professional
considerations,” as media outlets suggested the prison officials present in the
clip were acting against political and military policies.
Ben Gvir,
who is in charge of the police force and prison service, proudly touts his
hard-handed policies. In February, he posted a video of himself touring the
Ofer Prison as guards could be seen roughly manhandling Palestinian security
prisoners.
The
activists were detained at the Ashdod port after the Foreign Ministry said a
day earlier that the latest flotilla aiming to break the naval blockade of Gaza
had “come to an end.”
The
sister of Ireland’s President Catherine Connolly was also among the over 400
activists who were on board the flotilla that set sail from Turkey last week.
Israel
has dismissed the flotilla as “a PR stunt at the service of Hamas.”
Organizers
said they aimed to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza by delivering humanitarian
assistance, something aid bodies say is still in short supply, despite a
US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in place since October 2025 that
includes guarantees of increased aid. Israel has said that the flotillas
generally carry only symbolic quantities of aid, and that they refuse to hand
it over for overland transfer into Gaza.
Israeli
rights group Adalah said in a statement that the activists had been “detained
at Ashdod port” and “taken into Israel against their will as Adalah attorneys
entered for legal consultations.”
The
flotilla’s organizers said in a statement that the activists would be taken to
Ketziot prison in Israel’s southern Negev desert. It said that Adalah lawyers
would not be able to meet them until they get to Ketziot.
The
flotilla was led by Turkish aid organization IHH, designated in Israel as a
terror organization, which organized the deadly 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla to
Gaza.
A live
feed on the Global Sumud Flotilla’s website showed Israeli commandos boarding
the vessels on Tuesday as activists in life vests put their hands up. The
troops then destroyed cameras mounted on the ships.
In a post
on X, the Foreign Ministry said 430 activists would be able to meet with their
consular representatives.
“Israel
will continue to act in full accordance with international law and will not
permit any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza,” the statement added.
The
Israel Defense Forces began stopping the flotilla around 167 miles (268
kilometers) from the Gaza coastline, according to the flotilla’s website. The
vessels departed last week from Marmaris, Turkey, which, along with Gaza-ruling
Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, called the interdictions an act of “piracy.”
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