Israeli minister sparks outcry after posting video taunting detained flotilla activists
JERUSALEM: Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir posted a video on Wednesday showing detained activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs and foreheads on the ground.
The footage, published on Ben Gvir’s X account and captioned “Welcome to Israel,” shows dozens of activists on the deck of a military boat with the Israeli national anthem blaring, and in detention in Israel, where the minister is seen waving an Israeli flag.
The Global Sumud Flotilla set sail from Turkiye last week in the latest attempt by activists to breach Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian territory, after Israeli forces intercepted a previous convoy last month.
In the video he shared, he is seen encouraging staff at the detention center as they push down an activist who had stood up to say “free free Palestine” as he walked by.
