Current sectionOpinionShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeThe reaction to the flotilla affair exposed the fiction at the heart of Israeli politics: that the racism and extremism now driving government policy exist only on the margins02:04 PM • May 25 2026 IDTFollowing National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's shameful harassment of activists on the international flotilla that sought to break through the blockade of Gaza, the expected chain reaction ensued. That harassment included public humiliation and taunting of activists. It turned Israel's pirate-like, violent takeover of the flotilla's ships, already a violation of international law, into a horrific political circus. As a result, European countries summoned Israeli ambassadors and issued condemnations, while global media again portrayed Israel as an aggressive, violent and unrestrained country that was running wild. In the NewsAustralian Gaza Flotilla Activists Accuse Israel of Sexual Abuse, BeatingsIsrael Kills Five in Gaza in 24 Hours, Wounds Eight Others, Medics SayThe IDF Is, Once Again, Overriding Soldier Safety to Appease the ultra-OrthodoxTrump: U.S. Will Either Have 'Great and Meaningful' Iran Deal or None at AllGulf States Prepared to Give Iran a Safety Net That May Save Trump From HimselfRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIBen-Gvir Posts Video of Police Dragging Detained Gaza Flotilla ActivistsThe Most Consequential Republican Primary for Israel Is Happening in Kentucky'It Was Okay to Be Crazy': IDF Soldiers Discuss Moral Decay in LebanonUnmoved by Trump's Ticking Clock, Iran Forms a New Reality in the Persian Gulf`World Leaders Summon Israeli Envoys Over Ben-Gvir Gaza Flotilla Activists VideoOn Israel, Gaza and Palestine, Bigmouth Tucker Carlson Spoke Nothing but Truth