The images, very harsh, are described by the Roman newspaper La Repubblica. It shows the activists of the “flotilla for Gaza”, who were intercepted by the Israeli authorities as they tried to reach the enclave by sea, “kneeling, face down on the ground, hands tied behind their backs with plastic zip ties.” These same people, as reported by this left-wing media, “were then dragged, blindfolded, forced to walk bent over, and finally humiliated by Itamar Ben Gvir, the Minister of National Security who came to the port of Ashdod to display, in front of the cameras, all the arrogance he is capable of.”
The politician, leader of the far-right ultranationalist party Otzma Yehudit, Israeli flag in hand, says the following phrases: “These are supporters of terrorists, I say to Prime Minister Netanyahu: ‘Leave them to me for a long time, send them to the terrorists’ prisons.'” Shocking images, not accidentally leaked because it was the controversial Minister of National Security, well-known for his antics, who shared them himself. This prompted a response from Netanyahu who, as reported by the Israeli opposition daily Ha’Aretz, delivered the following message on the issue: “Israel has every right to prevent provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorists’ supporters from entering our territorial waters and reaching Gaza, however, the way Minister Ben Gvir treated the flotilla activists does not comply with Israel’s values and norms.”
A timid protest that was not enough to stem the wave of outrage that spread internationally and prompted various European leaders to take action. Thus, according to the Tel Aviv newspaper, “France and Italy summoned the Israeli ambassador in their respective countries,” and other governments also reacted to these images. The Spanish executive, “defined the treatment of activists as ‘monstrous, undignified, and inhumane,'” notes the Corriere della Sera from Milan. The Italian media also reports the statements of South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, who described the action as “totally unacceptable” on the part of Israel.
Within the Israeli state, in addition to the slight reprimand from the Prime Minister, the behavior of Ben Gvir provoked a reaction from the Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar. He, as explained by the BBC, “joined in condemning his government colleague by addressing him with the following statement: ‘You have knowingly prejudiced our state with this shameful behavior – and this is not the first time.'”
Disputes that increase attention around the fate of the 430 activists detained by the Israeli authorities. Those same people who, as the British media concludes, “were carrying food, baby formula, and medical supplies destined for Palestinians living in Gaza, where living conditions are disastrous and where most of the 2.1 million inhabitants are now displaced.”
