Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has triggered a sharp international diplomatic crisis after posting a video of himself appearing to taunt bound and detained activists from a Gaza aid flotilla, drawing condemnation from allies and exposing deep tensions within Israel's far-right coalition government.
The video, reported by the Times of Israel, shows Ben Gvir visiting the detention facility where activists intercepted while attempting to breach Israel's naval blockade of Gaza are being held. In the footage, the minister can be seen making remarks to the restrained detainees while filming on his phone.
The incident has drawn swift rebukes from European governments, with several foreign ministers calling the conduct "unacceptable" and "a violation of basic standards for treatment of detainees." The European Union's foreign policy chief issued a statement expressing "grave concern" over what it termed the "humiliating treatment" of the activists.
Within Israel, opposition leaders seized on the video as evidence of the government's extremism. Opposition leader Yair Lapid called Ben Gvir's actions "a national embarrassment" that damages Israel's standing internationally. Even some coalition members privately expressed dismay, though few were willing to criticize Ben Gvir publicly given his party's pivotal role in maintaining Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing majority.
Ben Gvir, who leads the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, defended his actions in subsequent social media posts, arguing that the flotilla participants were "terror supporters" attempting to undermine Israel's security. His office released a statement saying the minister was simply of those who seek to aid Hamas.
