Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir at the Israeli Knesset, May 20, 2026 in Jerusalem. Amir Levy/Getty Images
LONDON — The Israeli administration is encountering extensive global censure regarding a video showcasing its far-right minister of national security seeming to celebrate the harsh handling of overseas pro-Palestine activists, apprehended from a Gaza protest convoy.
On Wednesday, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir shared the footage on X, apparently gloating as scores of detained activists were presented, their limbs restrained and forced to kneel in painful positions. Ben-Gvir is seen in the recording brandishing an Israeli flag above the activists, and at one moment, he smiles as a bound woman is roughly pushed down by masked Israeli security personnel.
While pacing among the detainees, Ben-Gvir instructs the surrounding officers, "don’t be concerned by their cries."
The vast majority of Israel’s significant Western partners have communicated indignation concerning the video, denouncing it in notably stern language. The U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Canada, the Netherlands, and Belgium have all summoned Israel’s envoy in response to the dispute.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper expressed she was "utterly shocked" by the video, declaring "this contravenes the most fundamental principles of respect and dignity."
The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, similarly criticized Ben-Gvir, branding the convoy as a "foolish publicity stunt," while adding that the minister had "dishonored his nation’s integrity."
Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir at the Israeli Knesset, May 20, 2026 in Jerusalem.Amir Levy/Getty Images
The activists belonged to the Global Sumud Flotilla, which has endeavored to spotlight Israel’s humanitarian blockade on Gaza by attempting to navigate toward the territory in order to deliver provisions. The Israeli military, which instituted a naval blockade around Gaza upon Hamas’ ascent to power in 2007, intercepted the flotilla’s civilian vessels, staffed by volunteers from numerous nations. Around 430 activists were apprehended, according to figures from the flotilla's organizers.
On Thursday, Israel’s foreign ministry indicated that all of the activists had since been deported.
In a statement, the flotilla's organizers verified that all of the detained activists are now being freed, with many already on a flight bound for Istanbul. The group celebrated this as a triumph, stating it serves as "a reminder of the potency of international mobilization and prolonged political pressure."
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni denounced the treatment of the protestors depicted in the video as "unacceptable," stating it "degrades human dignity."
Ben-Gvir's video also sparked a vehement response from Israeli politicians internally, who have criticized it as detrimental to Israel’s global standing. Other individuals within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition reproached Ben-Gvir, with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar declaring it a "shameful display" and asserting, "no, you do not represent Israel’s true character."
The security minister remained defiant on Thursday, retorting to Sa'ar on X that Israel must recognize that the country "is no longer vulnerable." He further stated, "Anyone entering our territory to champion terrorism and align with Hamas will face consequences."
Netanyahu issued a declaration on Wednesday stating that "Israel possesses every justification to prevent provocative convoys of Hamas terrorist sympathizers from entering our territorial waters and reaching Gaza." However, he reproved Ben-Gvir’s conduct as "discordant with Israel’s principles."
The flotilla’s organizers conveyed on X, "Netanyahu’s theatrical indignation regarding Ben Gvir’s handling of flotilla activists unveils the regime’s frantic effort to control its own portrayal, all while maintaining the very same oppressive system." They added, "This transcends the actions of a single minister — it concerns the entirety of the colonial apparatus."
Israel has been under close observation regarding its treatment of Palestinian detainees throughout the conflict in Gaza. Former detainees and rights advocates have asserted that prisoners endured widespread torture, encompassing beatings, electrocution, and sexual violations. In 2024, a panel of UN experts reported receiving accounts of detainees being "stripped naked, deprived of suitable medical attention, sustenance, water, and sleep, and subjected to electrocution, notably on their genitalia."
"Furthermore, victims recounted loud music played until their ears bled, dog attacks, waterboarding, suspension from ceilings, and severe sexual and gender-based violence," the UN experts articulated.
The Israeli government has firmly dismissed any accusations of torture. A recent New York Times piece detailing allegations of extensive sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees has ignited significant controversy, with the Israeli administration threatening to litigate against the newspaper "for disseminating one of the most appalling and distorted falsehoods ever leveled against the State of Israel."
The New York Times has defended its coverage, informing the BBC in a statement that the threat constituted "a familiar political strategy intended to undermine impartial reporting and suppress journalism that deviates from a predetermined narrative. Any such legal claim would be without foundation."
Ben-Gvir, who heads the Jewish Power Party and has advocated for Israel’s annexation of the West Bank, is recognized for his provocative public appearances and harsh rhetoric concerning Palestinians. In the preceding year, he filmed himself inside a prison, accompanied by heavily armed security personnel, standing above a group of Palestinian detainees restrained on the floor, declaring to the camera that they were terrorists deserving of execution.
The present furor unfolds as Israel is advancing toward elections anticipated to serve as a referendum on Netanyahu and his right-leaning government.
Israeli opposition leaders censured Ben-Gvir’s actions depicted in the video. Benny Gantz, a former defense minister who departed from the coalition government in 2024, characterized it as "an embarrassing and ghastly spectacle."
Former Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who is campaigning in a unified party with former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, stated, "The act of terror I addressed today was perpetrated by Ben Gvir, yet the individual accountable for this severe act of terror is the Prime Minister, who incorporated a convicted criminal into the government, and anyone who consented to partner with a person so utterly devoid of accountability."
The Knesset, Israel’s parliament, ratified a bill on Wednesday to dissolve itself, establishing the framework for elections to transpire later in the year.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com