Sir, – You report that Israeli security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has been “rebuked” by both Israel’s prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar for his appalling behaviour towards captives from the Global Sumud Flotilla (“Israeli minister criticised by Taoiseach for ‘disgusting’ taunting of flotilla activists”, May 21st).It is clear that there is an effort under way by the Israeli government to distance itself from the offensive and gloating video released by Ben-Gvir because it has evoked outrage across the world. However, the idea that the abuse of flotilla activists does not represent Israel’s “values” as a state, or is exceptional, is entirely misleading. There was nothing peculiar about the violence meted out during Israel’s illegal interception of this flotilla, or in its attempts to degrade and humiliate the captured activists. This is how Israeli forces operate and with the approval of government. Netanyahu affects disapproval of Ben-Gvir’s taunting, but he had no issue when Israeli forces in May 2010 attacked the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in international waters, shooting dead nine brave activists (another died later from his wounds). Sadly, this event has receded in the minds of many commentators and justice has never been achieved for those who died.As a participant on that flotilla, I witnessed the grotesque violence of the Israeli intervention. As they boarded our boat, Challenger 1, they shot a young Dutch woman in the face with a plastic bullet, threw stun grenades and deployed extreme aggression to assert control. At the time, this Israeli raid was condemned globally, but little purposeful was done to dissuade Israel from carrying out further illegal raids in international waters. Indeed, as we know, Israeli military forces continue to operate with little regard for international law. Look at Gaza. There is talk now of action at EU level in response to the mistreatment of flotilla participants by the rogue state of Israel. Let us hope that something meaningful happens and that politicians here resist the temptation to construct Ben-Gvir as an “extremist” outsider. The Israeli state has repeatedly shown contempt for international humanitarian law and the impunity it enjoys must be ended. – Yours, etc,FINTAN LANE,Lucan,Co Dublin.