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⚡️ Israel’s Minister of Policing, Itamar Ben-Gvir, caused outrage on Wednesday, when appearing in a video that was mocking those arrested on the Global Sumud Flotilla that was in international waters heading towards Gaza from Turkey.
🔹 Prior to the publication of the video, Israel’s Foreign Ministry posted to X that ‘another PR flotilla has come to an end,’ noting that all 430 activists had been transferred to Israeli vessels and were making their way to Israel, where they would be able to meet with their consular representatives, noting the flotilla once again proved to be a PR stunt, and added Israel will continue to act accordingly.
🔹 Those people were later arrested and detained, shown on video with their hands tied behind their backs, kneeling on a metal floor and face down in a shadowless space as the Israeli anthem was blasted out and armed border police forces watched on, while Ben-Gvir was captured on video laughingly mocking the detainees which was quickly shared, causing global outrage from multiple countries, who either condemned Israel, or called the local ambassadors.
🔹 The Global Sumud Flotilla announced in a post on X: “In protest of their illegal abduction and in solidarity with the over 9,500 Palestinian hostages held in Israeli dungeons, at least 87 participants committed to an hunger strike,” stressing that “for the 2nd time in 3 weeks, the most moral army in the world abducted our comrades from international waters,’ demanding “all hostages of the Israeli regime be released … for the siege on Gaza to be lifted, and the release of all Palestinian hostages,” adding: “Call on your government to speak out against this act of piracy!”
⚡️ European Union: The EU statement condemned Ben-Gvir and the treatment of those detained: “The treatment of the flotilla activists as seen in the video published by Minister Ben-Gvir is completely unacceptable, as noted by some of his colleagues in government,” stating that every detainee must be treated safely, with respect, and in accordance with international law: “We call on the Israeli governments to ensure their protection and respectful treatment towards these activists, including several European Union citizens – we call for the immediate release of all detainees.”
⚡️ European Union: European Council President António Costa said on X: “I am shocked by Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir’s treatment of the flotilla members – this behaviour is completely unacceptable, and we call for their immediate release.”
⚡️ Australia: The Australian Foreign Ministry called the Ambassador for Israel for clarification talks following the video of Ben-Gvir, while in condemnation messages, they demanded the release of their citizens who participated in the flotilla and mentioned that they are among the countries that have previously imposed sanctions on the minister.
⚡️ Austria: The Iranian Embassy to Austria wrote on X that Ben-Gvir treated the illegally detained prisoners with blatant brutality, subjecting them to severe humiliation and physical assault: “These individuals were attempting to deliver food and medicine to the residents of Gaza, who are suffering from a suffocating siege and facing slow death amidst the ongoing genocide committed by Israel,” they said.
“Despite these atrocities, those who proclaim themselves guardians of human rights and international law have offered nothing but ‘timid rhetoric,'” the statment continued: “Some refrained from directly condemning these actions, content with merely referring to others who described this behaviour as ‘unacceptable’ – we condemn in the strongest possible terms the atrocities committed by the Israeli regime, and the hypocrisy of its defenders.”
⚡️ Canada: Prime Minister Mark Carney said that Ben-Gvir’s ‘attitude towards the citizens on the flotilla is unacceptable,’ as the ambassador to Israel was called by the Canadian Foreign Ministry to answer questions.
⚡️ Cyprus: The Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the video footage, stating that Ben-Gvir’s behaviour was completely unacceptable, and he must be held accountable, adding that while the Israeli government disavowed such disrespectful behaviour, steps must be taken to rectify the situation immediately.
⚡️ Finland: The Finnish Ministry announced it wouldn’t accept the treatment of the flotilla activists, demanding explanations for what was documented in the video from the Israeli ambassador to Finland.
⚡️ France: Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said: “Whatever our opinions on this flotilla – and we have already expressed our opposition to this step several times – our citizens participating in it must be treated with respect and released without delay,” and later, the Israeli ambassador to France was summoned for a reprimand.
⚡️ Germany: the German Ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, commented: “It is good to hear many Israeli voices – including the Foreign Minister – clearly condemning Minister Ben-Gvir’s treatment of the detainees as it is completely unacceptable and inconsistent with the basic values of our countries.”
⚡️ Ireland: President Catherine Connolly spoke after visiting King Charles at Buckingham Palace in London on Wednesday, saying she was ‘very proud of my sister, but also very worried about her,’ coming after Margaret Connolly, a GP form Sligo in Ireland’s northwest, was among six Irish members kidnapped by Israeli troops on Monday, according to Karen Moynihan, an Irish spokesperson for the pro-Gazan aid group.
⚡️ Ireland: Prime Minister Micheál Martin announced he would raise Ben-Gvir’s behaviour in discussions at European institutions because it constituted a violation of international law.
⚡️ Israel: Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar attacked the footage published by Ben-Gvir: “You knowingly caused damage to the state in this disgraceful spectacle and not for the first time – you are not the face of Israel,” he said.
⚡️ Israel: The Movement for Quality Government has approached the party and legal advisers to demand the removal of the video on the grounds that it constituted illegal election propaganda: “A worrying picture emerges according to which the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, is making illegal use of public assets for election propaganda purposes,” since the video was filmed in a secured facility at the Ashdod port.
⚡️ Israel: Ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter reiterated Netanyahu and Sa’ar’s comments, stating Ben-Gvir’s reckless grandstanding was not representative of government policy, and as Israel’s top diplomat to the US, saw Ben Gvir’s antics as taking a ‘sledgehammer to our diplomatic efforts while Israel’s enemies gleefully jump on every unfortunate nonsense to discredit and demonize.’
⚡️ Netherlands: Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said the images of Ben-Gvir of the activists from the Steadfastness Fleet were shocking and unacceptable: “This behaviour towards the detainees is a fundamental and basic violation of human rights and dignity,” he said adding: “I have directly discussed this issue with the Israeli Foreign Minister and also summoned the Israeli ambassador in the Netherlands to the Foreign Ministry.”
⚡️ New Zealand: The New Zealand Foreign Ministry called the Ambassador for Israel for clarification talks following the video of Ben-Gvir, while in condemnation messages, they demanded the release of their citizens who participated in the flotilla and mentioned that they are among the countries that have previously imposed sanctions on the minister.
⚡️ Palestine: Francesca Albanese said that while it was good to condemn Ben-Gvir for humiliating fleet members, words were not enough, calling on Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni not to be content with just condemning the treatment of the occupation authorities of the activists of the ‘Global Solidarity Fleet,’ and push for the suspension of the partnership between the European Union and Israel.
⚡️ Poland: Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said: “You must not treat Polish citizens who have committed no crime in this way,” stating that in a democratic world, people in custody are not abused nor is it boasted about: “We demand justice for our citizens and consequences for your actions,” the minister added.
⚡️ Spain: Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced: “I will urgently promote a ban on entry to the European Union for ministers in the Israeli government” in response to the video of Ben-Gvir, adding: “We will not tolerate any abuse of our citizens.”
⚡️ Spain: Foreign Minister José Manuel Álvarez announced: “In response to the monstrous, humiliating, and disrespectful attitude by an Israeli minister towards the Spaniards and other participants of the flotilla, I have urgently summoned the chargé d’affaires – I demand their immediate release and an apology from the Israeli government.”
⚡️ Sweden: Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said that it was impossible to defend the actions of Ben-Gvir, stating his actions only confirm the urgency for Sweden to impose sanctions on ‘extreme ministers’ in Israel.
⚡️ UK: Foreign Secretary and Labour MP Yvette Cooper said she was ‘truly appalled’ at the video posted by Ben-Gvir taunting those involved in the flotilla, stressing that such an act ‘violates the most basic standards of respect and dignity in the way people should be treated,’ assuring that the UK was in touch with the families of a number of British nationals involved to provide them with consular support, and had demanded an explanation from the Israeli authorities, while making clear their obligations to protect the rights of “our citizens and all those involved.”
⚡️ USA: Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said that ‘universal outrage and condemnation from every high ranking Israeli official, from the Israeli Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, to Gideon Sa’ar, in relation to the despicable actions of Ben-Gvir: “Flotilla was a stupid stunt, but Ben-Gvir betrayed the dignity of his nation,” he said.
⚡️ Further condemnations have also come from officials of Greece, Turkey, South Korea, Belgium, Malta, and Italy.
