Jerusalem, 20 May 2026

Israeli leaders and international officials have sharply criticized Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for his verbal attacks on activists from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, with the Israeli government distancing itself from his actions.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar publicly rebuked his cabinet colleague, stating: 'Nein, Sie sind nicht das Gesicht Israels. Sie haben unserem Staat mit diesem schändlichen Schauspiel absichtlich Schaden zugefügt - und nicht das erste Mal.' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also distanced himself from Ben-Gvir's behavior, though he defended Israel's right to intercept the flotilla.

The controversy stems from videos showing Ben-Gvir mocking and humiliating bound activists who were part of a 51-boat humanitarian mission attempting to break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza. In the footage, Ben-Gvir is heard saying 'Welcome to Israel, we are the masters of the house' and 'The people of Israel live.'

Opposition leader Yair Lapid went further, calling Ben-Gvir's actions a 'Terroranschlag' and blaming Netanyahu for bringing 'a convicted criminal' into government. Lapid wrote on X that the security minister had 'wasted the enormous, professional and successful efforts of many, many people' involved in intercepting the flotilla.

The Israeli embassy in Austria stated clearly: 'Minister Ben-Gvir handelt völlig auf eigene Faust und vertritt nicht die Politik Israels.' This message was echoed by other Israeli diplomatic missions seeking to contain the international fallout.

International Condemnation

European governments reacted with outrage. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot called Ben-Gvir's actions 'inakzeptabel,' while Irish Minister Helen McEntee described them as 'absolut empörend und inakzeptabel.' Spain's foreign minister José Manuel Albares said he saw 'a monstrous, inhuman and undignified video' showing Spanish citizens being mistreated.

Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger noted that three Austrians were among those detained, calling the videos shared by Ben-Gvir 'absolut inakzeptabel.' Germany's ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, praised Israeli voices condemning the minister's behavior as 'völlig inakzeptabel und inkompatibel mit den grundlegenden Werten unserer Länder.'

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni demanded the immediate release of detained Italian citizens and an apology from Israel. The British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper expressed being 'zutiefst entsetzt über das Video' showing the activists' humiliation.

Flotilla Background

An EU spokesperson called for the rapid release of all detainees, stating that their treatment in Ben-Gvir's video was 'völlig inakzeptabel' and that all prisoners must be treated 'sicher, würdevoll und im Einklang mit dem Völkerrecht.'

The flotilla, carrying 430 activists, aimed to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and challenge the Israeli-Egyptian blockade in place since 2007. Israeli authorities intercepted all boats, bringing them to Ashdod port.

Critics of the flotilla argue it was more about publicity than aid. The German media network Democ wrote in October that the 'Sumud Flotilla' was 'instrumentalisiert die humanitäre Lage in Gaza' and seemed primarily designed 'auf die Produktion von Social-Media-Content ausgerichtet'.