Netanyahu rebukes Ben-Gvir over treatment of flotilla activists

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a rare rebuke to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir after videos showed the minister mocking pro-Palestinian activists detained during an attempt to reach Gaza.

The footage, posted by Ben-Gvir himself, shows him walking among roughly 430 detained activists from the Sumud Global Flotilla at Israel's Ashdod port. He waves a large Israeli flag and tells some of them, "Welcome to Israel, we are the landlords." In one clip, a handcuffed activist shouts "Free Palestine" and is immediately pushed to the ground by security personnel. Other activists appear kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs and their heads touching the floor.

In a second video, Ben-Gvir says the activists "came here all full of pride like big heroes. Look at them now," and calls on Netanyahu to allow him to imprison them for a "long, long time."

Netanyahu defended the interception of the flotilla but criticized Ben-Gvir's conduct. "Israel has every right to prevent provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters from entering our territorial waters and reaching Gaza," he said in a statement. "However, the way that Minister Ben Gvir dealt with the flotilla activists is not in line with Israel's values and norms."

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also condemned the videos on X, writing that Ben-Gvir had "deliberately caused damage to the state in this disgraceful performance." Ben-Gvir replied that Israel "has stopped being a pushover" and that anyone entering its territory to support terrorism "will get slapped."

Yechiel Leiter, Israel's ambassador to the United States, said Ben-Gvir's "reckless grandstanding" does not represent government policy and harms diplomatic efforts.

Italy and France summoned the Israeli ambassador after the videos surfaced. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the treatment "unacceptable" and demanded an apology. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said France's citizens participating in the flotilla must be treated with respect and released quickly.

The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, known as Adalah, accused authorities of using a "criminal policy of abuse and humiliation" against the activists. The group said its lawyers were providing legal advice at Ashdod and called for the activists' immediate release.

Israeli forces boarded the last of the flotilla boats on Tuesday after stopping the vessels about 167 miles from the Gaza coast. Organizers said soldiers fired on five boats. Israel's foreign ministry said no live ammunition was used and that nonlethal means served only as a warning. The boats had departed from Turkey the previous week carrying a small amount of aid. Israel described the flotilla as a "PR stunt at the service of Hamas."