National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir caused a severe international diplomatic crisis and internal conflict within the Israeli government on Wednesday when he visited a facility at the Ashdod Port holding detained Gaza flotilla activists.
Minister Ben-Gvir toured the facility, accompanied by Israel Prison Service prison guards, police officers, and IDF soldiers, to oversee the reception and interrogation of the pro-Palestinian activists who were taken off the ships.
During the tour, one of the activists shouted at Ben-Gvir, "Free Palestine," before being whisked away by the prison guards.
At the same time, the security forces played the Israeli National Anthem "Hatikva" on speakers in the facility.
Minister Ben-Gvir chose to film the visit, directly addressed the detainees while waving an Israeli flag, and then said to the camera: "The summer camp is over, whoever acts against the State of Israel will find a determined country, Am Israel Chai."
The footage, which quickly spread around the world, led to a diplomatic crisis and infuriated the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem.
France has summoned the Israeli ambassador to the country for reprimand and to provide explanations after Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir published footage of himself confronting detained Gaza flotilla activists.
In response to the incident, the French and Italian Ministries of Foreign Affairs summoned the Israeli ambassadors to the countries to request formal clarifications on the event.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reacted especially strongly to the events and demanded immediate clarifications from Jerusalem: The images of the Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir are unacceptable. It is inadmissible that these demonstrators, including many Italian citizens, are subjected to this treatment that violates human dignity."
"The Italian Government is immediately taking, at the highest institutional levels, all necessary steps to secure the immediate release of the Italian citizens involved. Italy further demands an apology for the treatment reserved for these demonstrators and for the total contempt shown toward the explicit requests of the Italian Government," she added.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated: "The actions of Mr. Ben Gvir toward the passengers of the Global Sumud flotilla, denounced by his own colleagues in the Israeli government, are unacceptable. I have requested that the Israeli ambassador to France be summoned to express our indignation and obtain explanations."
"The safety of our compatriots is a constant priority. Whatever one thinks of this flotilla, and we have indicated on several occasions our disapproval of this initiative, our compatriots who are participating in it must be treated with respect and released as quickly as possible. I salute the work of the teams from the Ministry, the Embassy, and the Consulate who, once again, are mobilizing to ensure their consular protection," he added.
In the meantime, Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa'ar launched a rare intra-government attack on his peer, Ben-Gvir, accusing him of directly harming Israel's national interests.
"You knowingly caused harm to our State in this disgraceful display - and not for the first time," Sa'ar wrote in response to the incident. "You have undone tremendous, professional, and successful efforts made by so many people - from IDF soldiers to Foreign Ministry staff and many others."
He concluded: "No, you are not the face of Israel."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the incident, criticizing his Minister's actions: "Israel has every right to prevent provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters from entering our territorial waters and reaching Gaza. However, the way that Minister Ben Gvir dealt with the flotilla activists is not in line with Israel’s values and norms. I have instructed the relevant authorities to deport the provocateurs as soon as possible."
The Foreign Minister’s frustration came after days in which officials from the Foreign Ministry and the IDF worked around the clock to manage the public diplomacy and media campaign surrounding the takeover of the Turkish flotilla.
Officials in the diplomatic establishment said that international criticism over the takeover itself had been expected and was being managed, but that the official footage released by Itamar Ben-Gvir from the detention facility completely changed the situation and triggered harsh reactions from Europe.
Gadi Eisenkot joined the criticism against Minister Ben-Gvir, saying that he is “deliberately harming Israel’s image around the world in order to collect likes on social media."
Eisenkot added that “a prime minister who sees Israel’s best interests should have fired him a long time ago."
Ben-Gvir responded to the controversy, saying, “There are those in the government who still have not understood how supporters of terrorism should be treated. Israel’s foreign minister is expected to understand that Israel has stopped being a punching bag. Anyone who comes into our territory to support terrorism and identify with Hamas will get hit, and we will not turn the other cheek."
