Humiliation of Gaza activists Israeli police minister triggers diplomatic controversy with video
Israel's far-right security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir in a video published by himself in which Gaza activists are humiliated.
Image: Office Of Itamar Ben Gvir/X
Israeli Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has often been provocative. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
The Gaza aid flotilla tried to reach the coast of Gaza with 51 boats. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
Israel's far-right security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir in a video published by himself in which Gaza activists are humiliated.
Image: Office Of Itamar Ben Gvir/X
Israeli Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has often been provocative. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
The Gaza aid flotilla tried to reach the coast of Gaza with 51 boats. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
Israel's far-right police minister Ben-Gvir does not shy away from provocation. A video is now causing outrage in foreign ministries - and criticism from within his own ranks.
21.05.2026, 05:38
21.05.2026, 05:50
dpa
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Israel's far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is causing outrage at home and abroad with a humiliating video of Gaza activists.
- Ben-Gvir has been heavily criticized internationally for the footage.
- The video shows the minister with a group of supporters and waving an Israeli flag among handcuffed and kneeling activists from the international Gaza aid flotilla in the Israeli port city of Ashdod.
- The FDFA has called on the Israeli ambassador and the country's authorities to respect the fundamental rights of the detained flotilla participants from Switzerland.
A video by Israeli Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir showing Gaza activists in a humiliating manner has caused great outrage in several European foreign ministries. Israeli chief diplomat Gideon Saar and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also reacted to Ben-Gvir's video post on Platform X with clear words. The German government also sharply criticized the minister's behaviour. Various countries protested against the video and several countries summoned the Israeli ambassadors.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told dpa that Ben-Gvir's behavior was "completely unacceptable". "It fundamentally contradicts the values that Germany wants to stand for together with Israel," said the CDU politician. He was grateful to his Israeli counterpart Saar "for the clear words he found for this unspeakable behavior". Earlier, the German ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, had found similar words of criticism.
The video shows the minister with a group of supporters and waving an Israeli flag between handcuffed and kneeling activists of the international Gaza aid flotilla in the Israeli port city of Ashdod. "Welcome to Israel, we are the landlords here," he shouts in the video, in which he also mocks the activists. Around 430 activists took part in the flotilla and are being held by Israel.
Cabinet colleague Saar speaks of "shameful performance"
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar used clear words on X to distance himself from his far-right cabinet colleague, who is one of the most controversial members of Netanyahu's government. He had "knowingly harmed our state with this shameful appearance - and not for the first time", Saar wrote. Ben-Gvir is "not the face of Israel". A short time later, the Israeli Foreign Ministry posted pictures of Israeli police officers handing out water to the detained activists and talking to them under the headline "These are our values".
Netanyahu wrote that Ben-Gvir's treatment of the activists was not in line with Israel's values and norms. At the same time, he emphasized that Israel had the right to "prevent flotillas of Hamas supporters from entering our territorial waters and reaching the Gaza Strip." He had instructed the relevant authorities to expel the activists as quickly as possible.
Israeli ambassador summoned
The chief diplomats of several countries reacted indignantly to the video and summoned the respective Israeli ambassador to the Foreign Ministry. "The video of Minister Ben-Gvir is absolutely unacceptable and violates every elementary protection of human dignity," wrote Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on X. Head of government Giorgia Meloni wrote that Italy also demanded an apology for the treatment of the activists.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced on X that the Israeli ambassador would be summoned to convey France's indignation. Ben-Gvir's behavior was unacceptable. French participants in the Gaza aid flotilla must be treated with respect and released as quickly as possible, Barrot wrote.
Ministers call for release of activists
"I have seen a monstrous, inhuman and undignified video in which members of the flotilla, including Spanish men and women, were treated unfairly and in a humiliating manner by an Israeli minister and the police. I find this extremely alarming," said Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares on the fringes of a visit to Berlin. He had therefore urgently summoned Israel's chargé d'affaires in Madrid. Alabares demanded the immediate release of the activists and a public apology from Israel. Portugal also summoned the Israeli ambassador.
"I am deeply appalled by the video released by Israeli Cabinet Minister Ben-Gvir, in which he mocks the participants of the Global Sumud Flotilla," wrote British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. "This breaches the most basic standards of respect and dignity in our dealings with people." Her Irish counterpart Helen McEntee wrote that she was appalled and shocked by the video.
Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen wrote that he had contacted Saar about the video. At the same time, he welcomed the fact that Saar and Netanyahu had clearly distanced themselves from Ben-Gvir.
Belgium's Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot spoke of deeply disturbing images. "People are being held captive, tied up and forced face down while a member of the government publicly flaunts their humiliation on social media."
FDFA insists on respect for the activists' fundamental rights
The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) called on the Israeli ambassador and the country's authorities to respect the fundamental rights of the detained flotilla participants from Switzerland. The Department has not yet been informed of the number of detainees.
The Israeli army stopped most of the boats in the international Gaza aid flotilla at the beginning of the week. Swiss citizens were also on board. According to information from the Swiss embassy in Tel Aviv, they were arrested and are to be transferred to Ktzi'ot prison, as the FDFA reported on Wednesday in response to a request from the Keystone-SDA news agency.
The FDFA added that the Israeli authorities had been repeatedly called upon to comply with humane detention conditions, procedural guarantees and the right to defense, as well as international law and the law of the sea. Any intervention against the flotilla must comply with the principle of proportionality. However, according to the FDFA, it is primarily the responsibility of the detainees' lawyers to protect their clients' rights. The Swiss authorities provided subsidiary consular support in accordance with the Swiss Abroad Act.
According to the FDFA, it invited the organizers of the Swiss delegation to the Global Sumud Flotilla to a meeting in April and drew their attention to the considerable risks. "Swiss nationals who have decided to take part in the flotilla despite these warnings are acting negligently and at their own risk," said the FDFA.
