Italy has officially announced that it is opening an investigation against National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir following footage of his meeting with participants in the flotilla to Gaza.
Ben Gvir said in response to the Italian investigation: "The land of the boot has become the land of the flip-flop. Israel is not the child of a bunch of lying terrorist supporters who invent plots and lies against our fighters. I will not shy away from any kind of investigation and will continue to stand proudly alongside our soldiers."
Ben Gvir sparked an international uproar when he conducted an operational tour at Port of Ashdod together with prison officers from the Israel Prison Service, police forces, and the IDF, in order to closely monitor the intake and questioning of the pro-Palestinian activists who were removed from the ships of the Turkish flotilla to Gaza in May.
During the minister’s tour of the detention facility, a dramatic moment occurred when one of the flotilla participants shouted at him: “Free Palestine."
The prison officers accompanying the minister immediately took control of her and removed her from the area. At the same time, as part of the conditions at the site, security forces played the Israeli national anthem, “Hatikvah," loudly in the background.
Minister Ben Gvir chose to document the events, directly addressed the detained flotilla participants while holding up an Israeli flag in front of them, and told the cameras:
“The summer camp is over. Anyone who acts against the State of Israel will find a determined country. The people of Israel live."
The footage, which quickly spread through media outlets around the world, led to outrage from Italy and other countries.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni responded sharply and also arranged for the Israeli ambassador in Rome to be summoned for a reprimand.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also strongly criticized Ben Gvir: “Israel has the full right to prevent provocative flotillas by supporters of Hamas terrorism from entering our territorial waters and reaching Gaza. However, the manner in which Minister Ben-Gvir treated the flotilla activists is not consistent with the values and norms of the State of Israel. I have instructed the relevant officials to deport the provocateurs as quickly as possible."
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar launched an unprecedented attack against Ben-Gvir following the footage he released from the scene, accusing him of directly harming Israel’s national interests.
“You knowingly caused damage to the country with this disgraceful performance - and not for the first time,"
Sa’ar attacked Ben Gvir. “You threw away enormous, professional, and successful efforts made by many people - from IDF soldiers to Foreign Ministry employees and many others. No, you are not the face of Israel."