Israel’s diplomatic image suffered heavy damage following a video posted by ultranationalist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir showing detained pro-Palestinian activists kneeling on the ground with their hands zip-tied behind their backs.
The activists were heading to Gaza as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla to deliver humanitarian aid when they were intercepted by Israeli forces earlier this week. According to reports, around 50 vessels and more than 400 activists were intercepted.
Ben-Gvir posted the controversial video on Wednesday on X alongside the caption ‘Welcome to Israel’. The footage showed dozens of activists forced to kneel with their foreheads to the ground while guarded by armed Israeli security forces. According to media reports, the detainees were allegedly forced to remain motionless for a prolonged period while the Israeli national anthem played in the background, fuelling speculation that the authorities had intentionally sought to humiliate them.
Many of the activists visible in the footage were EU citizens, including Italians, Poles, Dutch, Greeks, Spaniards, and Irish nationals, prompting strong reactions even from EU member states that have generally maintained relatively pro-Israel positions during the Gaza war.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni delivered one of the harshest responses. In a post published on X on Wednesday, Meloni described the treatment of Italian citizens as ‘unacceptable’ and said it was ‘inadmissible’ that the activists had been subjected to treatment ‘harmful to human dignity’.
‘The Italian government is immediately taking, at the highest institutional levels, all necessary steps to obtain the immediate release of the Italian citizens involved,’ Meloni stated. She further demanded apologies from Israel ‘for the treatment reserved for these demonstrators and for the total disregard shown towards the explicit requests of the Italian government’.
Meloni also announced that Italy’s Foreign Ministry would immediately summon the Israeli ambassador to demand formal clarifications regarding the incident.
Poland, which—similarly to Italy—has generally maintained a more Israel-aligned position on the Gaza war than many other EU member states, also reacted sharply. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski announced that Warsaw had summoned Israel’s chargé d’affaires to express outrage and demand formal apologies for what he described as the ‘extremely inappropriate behaviour’ of a member of the Israeli government. Sikorski also demanded the immediate release of Polish citizens detained during the operation and insisted that they be treated in accordance with international standards.
Germany, traditionally among Israel’s strongest allies within the bloc, likewise condemned the footage. German Ambassador to Israel Steffen Seibert described the treatment as ‘wholly unacceptable and incompatible with the basic values of our countries’.
Realizing the diplomatic damage caused by the video, the Israeli government moved quickly to contain the fallout. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly distanced himself from Ben-Gvir, stating that although Israel had the ‘right to intercept’ the flotilla, the treatment shown in the footage was ‘not in line with Israeli values’.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar went even further, accusing Ben-Gvir of seriously damaging Israel’s international standing in a post on X.
The national security minister responded defiantly to the growing backlash and refused to apologize either for publishing the footage or for the treatment of the detainees. Instead, he doubled down rhetorically, defending the operation as a ‘necessary response’ against what he described as ‘provocateurs supporting Hamas propaganda under the guise of humanitarianism’. He also argued that Israel ‘will not bow to foreign pressure’ and claimed that the activists had been treated ‘better than Israeli hostages in Gaza’.
Ben-Gvir additionally dismissed criticism coming from within the Israeli government itself, arguing that ‘national honour and deterrence are more important than European public opinion’.
Ben-Gvir has long been one of the most controversial figures in Israeli politics. The ultranationalist minister, who leads the Jewish Power party, has repeatedly drawn international criticism over his hardline rhetoric regarding Palestinians, support for settlement expansion, controversial visits to the Temple Mount/al-Aqsa compound, and harsh prison policies targeting Palestinian detainees.
He was previously convicted in Israel for incitement to racism and support for extremist organizations, while several predominantly pro-Palestinian Western countries have imposed sanctions or restrictions against him in recent years.
The backlash came only days after Netanyahu announced that Israel would sue American outlet The New York Times over an opinion piece alleging widespread sexual abuse and rape of Palestinian prisoners by Israeli soldiers and prison guards.
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