Haaretz: Netanyahu, FM Sa’ar condemn Ben-Gvir video of flotilla activists after several countries summon Israeli envoys

A day after Israel’s Foreign Ministry said that “all 430 activists” from a flotilla headed for Gaza “are making their way to Israel,” far-right police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a video showing them being dragged through an Israeli port with the caption: “That’s how we welcome the terror supporters. Welcome to Israel.”

The video showed masked police officers pushing activists to the ground and forcing them to stand on all fours before being lined up face-down inside a warehouse with their hands zip-tied behind their backs. Ben-Gvir then walks in, waving an Israeli flag while yelling, “Welcome to Israel. We’re the landlords.”

In another shot, the activists are kneeling on a metal floor, surrounded by barbed wire, as armed Border Police officers keep watch and Israel’s anthem plays in the background. The video concludes with Ben-Gvir telling the camera, “Don’t be bothered by their screams,” while a woman can be heard pleading and screaming in the background.

Shortly after the video was posted, both Italian PM Meloni and French FM Barrot called Ben-Gvir’s conduct “unacceptable” and said they summoned their Israeli envoys for clarifications. They were joined by several other countries, including Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. 

In a rare public rebuke, both Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned Ben-Gvir’s actions. The premier said that while “Israel has every right” to prevent the flotillas from reaching Gaza, “the way that Minister Ben Gvir dealt” with the activists “is not in line with Israel’s values and norms.”

Netanyahu said he had instructed Israeli authorities to deport the activists “as soon as possible.” Sa’ar, for his part, said Ben-Gvir “is not the face of Israel,” adding that he “knowingly damaged the country with this horrendous charade, and not for the first time.”