International Criticism of Ben Gvir Over "Fleet of Resilience" Video

SadaNews - Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir has sparked a wave of sharp international criticism after posting a video showing activists arrested by Israel following its interception of ships from the "Fleet of Resilience" on their way to Gaza.

The footage showed dozens of activists on board a military ship and then inside a detention center, kneeling with their hands shackled, while Ben Gvir appeared before one of them waving an Israeli flag and chanting "Long live Israel".

Here are the main reactions:

Italy

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned Israel’s treatment of the activists from the fleet seeking to break the Israeli siege on Gaza, calling it "unacceptable".

Meloni demanded the immediate release of any detained Italian citizens and that Israel issue an apology.

France

France announced it summoned the Israeli ambassador in light of Ben Gvir's actions, which were deemed "unacceptable".

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot posted on X: "I requested the summoning of the Israeli ambassador in France to express our condemnation and to obtain clarifications".

America

The U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, condemned the filmed confrontation between the extremist Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Gaza Fleet activists.

Huckabee stated, as translated by SadaNews: "There is widespread anger and condemnation from all high-ranking Israeli officials, starting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, President Herzog, and Ambassador Michael Laitner, due to the disgraceful actions taken by Ben Gvir. The fleet’s journey may be a silly display, but Ben Gvir has betrayed the dignity of his country".

Britain

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper expressed her "shock" at the video, stating via X that the images "violate the most basic standards of respect and dignity in how people are treated".

She indicated that the government is in contact with the families of the detained British citizens and has "demanded explanations from Israeli authorities".

Ireland

Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee stated she felt "panic and shock" due to the video posted by Ben Gvir, calling for the immediate release of the "unlawfully detained" activists, including the sister of Irish President Catherine Connolly.

Spain

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares stated that the Israeli envoy in Madrid has been summoned, considering the handling depicted in the video as "brutal, shameful, and inhumane".

Turkey

Turkey harshly criticized the Israeli government over the video, with the Turkish Foreign Ministry stating that Ben Gvir "once again showed the world the violent mentality of Netanyahu's government".

Germany
The German ambassador, Steffen Seibert, deemed Ben Gvir's treatment of the detained activists as "absolutely unacceptable".

In a post on X, Seibert wrote: "It is good to hear many Israeli voices, including Foreign Minister (Gideon Sa'ar), clearly describing the treatment of Minister Ben Gvir towards the detainees as it truly is, namely absolutely unacceptable and inconsistent with the basic values of our countries".

Greece

The Foreign Ministry in Athens called for the release of the Greek activists, believed to number 19, stating in a statement that "the actions of the Israeli National Security Minister, targeting citizens participating in the (Fleet of Resilience), are unacceptable and utterly condemnable".

Belgium

Belgian Foreign Minister Maxim Prevo summoned the Israeli ambassador after the broadcast of images of the activists, which Brussels found "deeply concerning".

Prevo confirmed on X that there are "Belgian citizens among the detainees. This situation is unacceptable", explaining that he decided to summon the Israeli ambassador "to express our discontent and demand clarifications".

He also emphasized that the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains "catastrophic" and requires "full attention from the international community".

Netherlands

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten wrote on X that the Israeli ambassador has been summoned, while Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen described the treatment of the activists as "shocking and unacceptable".

Poland

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski demanded to achieve "justice for our detained citizens" and to impose "consequences" on Ben Gvir.

Canada

Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand reported that the footage was "extremely troubling and completely unacceptable", adding that she directed the summoning of "the Israeli ambassador regarding the mistreatment of civilians on board the fleet. What we saw, including the video shared by Itamar Ben Gvir, is extremely troubling and completely unacceptable".

European Union

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell described the treatment of "Fleet of Resilience" activists, including EU citizens, as "humiliating and wrong".

The President of the European Council stated: "I am shocked by the treatment of Israeli Minister Ben Gvir towards members of the Fleet of Resilience and we call for their immediate release".

European Commission

European Commission spokesperson Anwar Al-Ainuni described the treatment of "Fleet of Resilience" activists bound for Gaza in the video posted by Ben Gvir as "absolutely unacceptable".

New Zealand

New Zealand will summon its Israeli ambassador to express "serious concerns" regarding the treatment of detained activists from the "Fleet of Resilience", as announced by New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters.

Australia

The Australian Foreign Minister stated: "We condemn the degrading actions of the Israeli authorities and Ben Gvir towards the detained activists of the Fleet of Resilience".

Ben Gvir Attacks His Critics

Ben Gvir attacked his critics from both the Israeli government and opposition over his treatment of the Fleet of Resilience activists, stating in a Knesset session: "We will not endanger soldiers and will give them all necessary support… There will be other pictures that Sa'ar and others will not like, and what Sa'ar did is a disgrace to the Israeli government and does not achieve deterrence against "terrorists", according to SadaNews's translation.