Israel’s national security minister faces international backlash over video taunting detained flotilla activists
Updated ,first published
Israel’s ambassador to Australia will appear before the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to reinforce the government’s displeasure over a video in which Israel’s national security minister mocks detained flotilla activists, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said.
In a statement on Thursday morning, Wong said Itamar Ben-Gvir’s provocative video was “shocking and unacceptable” and Australia’s ambassador to Israel had made Labor’s frustrations clear to the Israeli government.
“The images we saw released by Australian-approved Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir are shocking and unacceptable. We condemn his actions and the degrading actions of Israeli authorities towards those detained,” Wong said.
“The Australian Ambassador to Israel made representations to Israel and reiterated our call for the release of detained Australians and for Israel to ensure that detainees are not mistreated and to act in accordance with international obligations.
“I have also instructed DFAT to summon the Israeli Ambassador to Australia to reinforce this message.”
Israel’s ambassador to Australia was last summoned by DFAT in July last year. Amir Maimon, the ambassador at the time, was summoned due to accusations about hunger and famine-like conditions in Gaza.
Current ambassador Hillel Newman was called to duty for the first time. He took office in February this year.
The video was rebuked by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and triggered international backlash after Ben-Gvir released videos mocking detained flotilla activists trying to breach Israel’s blockade of Gaza and telling them they should be imprisoned for long periods of time.
Netanyahu said that although Israel had the right to stop “provocative squadrons of Hamas terrorist supporters”, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s approach to the activists was “not in line with Israel’s values and norms”.
Ben-Gvir released videos on Wednesday showing him walking among some of the approximately 430 detained activists, including 11 Australians. In one, activists kneel with their hands tied behind their backs, their heads touching the ground in what appears to be a temporary detention area and on the deck of a ship.
“Welcome to Israel, we are landlords,” Ben-Gvir says, waving the large Israeli flag. As Ben-Gvir passes by, a handcuffed activist shouts “free Palestine” and is immediately pushed to the ground by security personnel.
In another video, Ben-Gvir says the activists “came here proudly, like great heroes. Now look at them,” while calling on Netanyahu to allow them to be imprisoned.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the images “violate the most basic standards of respect and dignity” about how people should be treated and demanded an explanation from Israeli officials.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, known for his support of Israel’s far-right settlement movement, called Ben-Gvir’s actions “despicable” and said he “betrayed the honor of his nation”.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the treatment of activists a “violation of human dignity” and demanded an apology from Israel. Italy also summoned Israel’s ambassador in Rome to protest the treatment of Italian detainees and demand their immediate release.
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this behavior “clearly demonstrated to the world the violent and barbaric mentality” of the Israeli government, while the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it filed an official protest, calling Ben-Gvir’s actions “unacceptable and completely condemnable”.
Palestinian militant group Hamas called out Ben-Gvir for the activists’ “scenes of harassment and humiliation”, saying they showed Israel’s “moral decline and sadism”.
Australians Neve O’Connor, Sam Woripa Watson, Anny Mokotow, Isla Lamont, Juliet Lamont, Surya McEwen, Zack Schofield, Bianca Webb-Pullman, Gemma O’Toole, Violet Coco and Helen O’Sullivan were confirmed to have been detained by Israel earlier this week.
Israeli forces boarded the last of the flotilla of boats attempting to challenge the blockade on Tuesday; It was the latest effort to highlight the dire conditions of the nearly 2 million Palestinians in Gaza.
Israeli leader calls for rapid deportation
Addressing Netanyahu in one of the videos, Ben-Gvir says: “I say to Prime Minister Netanyahu, give them to me for a long time, give them to us for terrorist prisons.”
Netanyahu said he had ordered the activists to be deported “as soon as possible.”
Ben-Gvir also drew the ire of Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar; he also openly scolded his minister friend about X and said: “You knowingly harmed our State with this shameful display.”
“No, you are not the face of Israel,” Saar wrote.
Ben-Gvir hit back at Saar in the Israeli parliament, accusing him of “caving in to terrorists” and saying Israel’s apology to activists would send a message of “weakness”, “capitulation” and “capitulation”.
The Arab Minority Rights Legal Center in Israel, or Adalah, an Israel-based legal advocacy group, accused Israeli authorities of “implementing a criminal policy of harassment and humiliation against activists.”
This follows similar patterns of mistreatment by Israeli authorities against activists in previous fleet missions for which “Israel faced zero accountability,” Adalah’s statement said.
Adalah lawyer Suhad Bishara said a group of 11 lawyers who visited detainees were aware that at least two activists had been hospitalized after being shot with rubber bullets “for no reason, no justification.” Bishara said that the activists will be brought before the judge on Thursday and the judge will decide when their deportation will begin.
Global Sumud Flotilla spokesperson Rania Batrice said Ben-Gvir publishes such videos because the world does not hold Israel accountable.
“If they’re doing this to Europeans, to Americans, to people from South Africa and all over the world, think about what they’re doing to the Palestinian people,” Batrice said.
Flotilla organizers claimed that Israeli soldiers opened fire on five boats during the interdicts, causing some damage. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said no live ammunition was fired and “non-lethal means” were directed at the ships as a warning, but did not target or injure protesters.
According to the flotilla’s website, Israeli forces stopped the flotilla, which set out from Türkiye last week, about 268 kilometers off the Gaza coastline.
Israel described the flotilla as a “public relations stunt in the service of Hamas” with no real intention of bringing aid to Gaza. The boats are carrying a symbolic amount of aid.
Israel has maintained a naval blockade of Gaza since Hamas seized control of the region in 2007. Israeli authorities intensified this following attacks on southern Israel by Hamas-led militants in October 2023, which left 1,200 people dead and more than 250 taken hostage.
Critics say the blockade amounts to collective punishment, while Israel says its purpose is to prevent Hamas from arming itself. Egypt, which has the only border crossing with Gaza that is not controlled by Israel, has also greatly restricted entry and exit movements.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive following the Oct. 7 attacks killed more than 72,700 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
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Nick Newling is the federal politics correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect with: X or email.
