{"id":856,"date":"2026-05-20T15:41:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T15:41:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/2026\/05\/20\/far-right-israeli-minister-sparks-outcry-with-video-of-bound-and-kneeling-gaza-flotilla-activists\/"},"modified":"2026-05-20T15:41:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T15:41:19","slug":"far-right-israeli-minister-sparks-outcry-with-video-of-bound-and-kneeling-gaza-flotilla-activists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/?p=856","title":{"rendered":"Far-right Israeli minister sparks outcry with video of bound and kneeling Gaza flotilla activists"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-tms-ad-status=\"idle\" data-tms-ad-container class=\"o-ad-container o-ad-container--banner-top o-ad-container--with-shimmer o-ad-container--with-background\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__content o-ad-container__content--report-enabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__label m-block-ad__label--report-enabled\">\n                    <span class=\"o-ad-container__label__text\">Advertising<\/span><br \/>\n                                            <button title=\"Report this ad\" class=\"o-ad-container__content__report-link\" data-tms-ad-report><br \/>\n                        <\/button>\n                                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"o-ad-sponsoring\" data-tms-ad-type=\"sponsoring\" data-tms-ad-status=\"disabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-sponsoring__wrapper\">\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content t-content--article\" id=\"main-content\">\n<div class=\"t-content__above-sidebar\">\n<h1 class=\"t-content__title a-page-title\">Far-right Israeli minister sparks outcry with video of bound and kneeling Gaza flotilla activists<\/h1>\n<div class=\"m-master-tag\">\n<div class=\"a-tag-section\">\n                                    Middle East\n                            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"t-content__chapo\">\n                                        Israel&#8217;s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a video on Wednesday of some 430 activists detained from the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, many of them bound and kneeling, accompanied by the message: &#8220;Welcome to Israel.&#8221; European governments and Israeli politicians were quick to denounce the video.                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__with-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"t-content__beside-sidebar\" data-article-content>\n<div class=\"t-content__metadata\">\n<div class=\"t-content__dates\">\n<p class=\"m-pub-dates\"><span class=\"m-pub-dates__date\">Issued on: <time datetime=\"2026-05-20T15:06:27+00:00\">20\/05\/2026 &#8211; 17:06<\/time><\/span><span class=\"m-pub-dates__date\">Modified: <time datetime=\"2026-05-20T15:11:49+00:00\">20\/05\/2026 &#8211; 17:11<\/time><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"a-reading-time\">\n    <span class=\"a-reading-time__icon\" title=\"Reading time\"><\/p>\n<p>    <\/span><br \/>\n    3 min    <span class=\"u-sr-only\">Reading time<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a-share-button\" data-root-share>\n<p>                            <span class=\"a-master-button__label\">Share<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__authors\">\n<div class=\"m-from-author\">\n                    <span class=\"m-from-author__by-label\"><br \/>\n                By:<br \/>\n            <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"m-author\">\n<div class=\"m-author__name\">\n                                                    <a href=\"\/en\/author\/france-24\/\" title=\"FRANCE 24\" class=\"m-author__name__title\"><br \/>\n                                FRANCE 24<br \/>\n                            <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__main-media\">\n<figure class=\"m-item-image m-item-image--16x9 m-item-image--has-caption\">\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"auto\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/e1a78bd4-545b-11f1-a898-005056bf30b7\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/Flotille.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/e1a78bd4-545b-11f1-a898-005056bf30b7\/w:388\/p:16x9\/Flotille.jpg 388w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/e1a78bd4-545b-11f1-a898-005056bf30b7\/w:720\/p:16x9\/Flotille.jpg 720w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/e1a78bd4-545b-11f1-a898-005056bf30b7\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/Flotille.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1076px) 100vw, 1012px\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" alt='The post, captioned \"Welcome to Israel,\" sparked an immediate backlash.' loading=\"eager\" class=\"a-img \"><figcaption class=\"a-figcaption\">\n                <span>The May 20, 2026 post, captioned &#8220;Welcome to Israel,&#8221; sparked an immediate backlash.<\/span>                <span>\u00a9 Screen grab, post on X<\/span>            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__body u-clearfix\">\n<p>The footage, published on <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/itamarbengvir\/status\/2057046925417824697\" target=\"_blank\">Ben-Gvir&#8217;s X account<\/a>, shows dozens of activists on a military boat with the Israeli national anthem blaring and\u00a0the minister seen waving an Israeli flag.<\/p>\n<p>One handcuffed activist shown in the video was immediately pushed to the ground by security personnel after shouting, \u201cFree Palestine\u201d as Ben-Gvir was walking by.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The video sparked an immediate outcry both internationally and within Israel.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/italy\/\" target=\"_self\">Italy<\/a>&#8216;s government \u200bwas among the first to react, calling Israel&#8217;s treatment \u200cof the flotilla activists \u200b&#8221;unacceptable&#8221; and saying the Israeli ambassador would be summoned for \u200can explanation. Prime Minister <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/giorgia-meloni\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Giorgia Meloni<\/a>\u00a0also called for the immediate release of any detained Italian citizens and demanded an apology.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>French Foreign \u200bMinister <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/jean-no%C3%ABl-barrot\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Jean-No\u00ebl Barrot<\/a> said he had also summoned the Israeli ambassador.\u00a0&#8220;Mr. Ben Gvir&#8217;s actions towards the passengers of \u200cthe Global Sumud Flotilla, denounced \u200bby his own colleagues in the Israeli government, are unacceptable,&#8221; \u200bBarrot said in \u200ba post on \u200bX.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Within Israel, Prime Minister <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/benjamin-netanyahu\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a>\u00a0criticised Ben-Gvir over his handling of the detained flotilla activists, adding that he had ordered their deportation. Netanyahu called Ben-Gvir&#8217;s actions &#8220;not in line with Israel&#8217;s values&#8221;.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The way minister Ben Gvir dealt with the flotilla activists is not in line with Israel&#8217;s values and norms. I have instructed the relevant authorities to deport the provocateurs (activists) as soon as possible,&#8221; he said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Israel&#8217;s Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Saar addressed Ben Gvir in a post on X. &#8220;You knowingly caused harm to our State in this disgraceful display\u00a0\u2013 and not for the first time,&#8221; Saar wrote, adding that Ben Gvir was &#8220;not the face of Israel&#8221;.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Global Sumud Flotilla <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/gaza-flotilla-sails-for-a-third-time-despite-threats-500-activists-depart\" target=\"_self\">set sail from Turkey last week<\/a>\u00a0in the latest attempt by activists to breach Israel&#8217;s blockade of the Palestinian territory after Israeli forces intercepted a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/europe\/20260415-gaza-aid-flotilla-sets-sail-from-barcelona\" target=\"_self\">previous convoy<\/a> last month.\u00a0Israel intercepted the boats on Monday and Tuesday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div id=\"em-WBMZ549389-F24-EN-20260520\" class=\"m-em-flash\" data-xtwitter-script>\n<div class=\"o-em-consent \">\n<div class=\"o-em-consent__content\">\n<p class=\"o-em-consent__content__text\">To display this content from X (Twitter), you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement.<\/p>\n<p>        <button class=\"a-master-button a-master-button--dark\" data-action=\"accept\"><br \/>\n            Accept<\/p>\n<p>        <\/button><br \/>\n        <button class=\"a-link\" data-action=\"manage\">Manage my choices<\/button>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The flotilla was the latest effort by activists to highlight the grim conditions for nearly 2 million Palestinians suffering from severe shortages of housing, food and medicine.<\/p>\n<p>Israeli forces began stopping the boats around 167 miles (268 kilometres) from the Gaza coastline on Monday, according to the flotilla\u2019s website. The Israeli navy stopped some 41 of the boats in international waters off Cyprus and detained those on board.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The activist group said late Tuesday that 428 people from more than 40 nations had been detained and remained \u201cunaccounted for\u201d as they have had neither contact with lawyers nor access to consular help and their families haven&#8217;t been informed of their whereabouts.<\/p>\n<p>Israel has called the flotilla \u201ca provocation for the sake of provocation\u201d with no real intent to deliver aid to Gaza. The boats carry a symbolic amount of aid.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"em-video-wrapper m-em-video\" data-media-video-wbmz549397-f24-en-20260520 data-wrapper-video-player data-show-hidden-video-player=\"WBMZ549397-F24-EN-20260520\" data-youtube-script>\n<div class=\"m-em-video__video\">\n<div class=\"o-em-consent \">\n<div class=\"o-em-consent__content\">\n<p class=\"o-em-consent__content__text\">To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement.<\/p>\n<p>        <button class=\"a-master-button a-master-button--dark\" data-action=\"accept\"><br \/>\n            Accept<\/p>\n<p>        <\/button><br \/>\n        <button class=\"a-link\" data-action=\"manage\">Manage my choices<\/button>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o-em-adblock\" data-adblock-content>\n<div class=\"o-em-adblock__content\">\n<p class=\"o-em-adblock__content__text\">One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site.<\/p>\n<p>            <button class=\"a-master-button a-master-button--dark\" data-action=\"reload\">Try again<\/button>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-hidden-video-player=\"WBMZ549397-F24-EN-20260520\">\n<div class=\"m-em-video\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<figure class=\"m-item-image m-item-image--16x9 m-item-image--has-caption\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/92bdf5d8-5106-11f1-a332-005056bf30b7\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/EN-20260516-100521-100715-CS.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/92bdf5d8-5106-11f1-a332-005056bf30b7\/w:388\/p:16x9\/EN-20260516-100521-100715-CS.jpg 388w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/92bdf5d8-5106-11f1-a332-005056bf30b7\/w:720\/p:16x9\/EN-20260516-100521-100715-CS.jpg 720w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/92bdf5d8-5106-11f1-a332-005056bf30b7\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/EN-20260516-100521-100715-CS.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 639px) calc(100vw - 32px), (max-width: 1076px) calc(100vw - 44px), 850px\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"a-img \"><figcaption class=\"a-figcaption\">\n                                <span>\u00a9 France 24<\/span>            <\/figcaption><div class=\"m-item-image__overlay-wrapper\">\n                <button class=\"m-main-media-btn\" aria-label=\"Play the video\"><br \/>\n    <span class=\"m-main-media-btn__picto\"><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"a-circle-loader\">\n<\/div>\n<p><\/button><br \/>\n<time class=\"a-media-time\">01:53<\/time>                <\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;Israel is employing a criminal policy of abuse and humiliation against activists seeking to confront Israel&#8217;s ongoing crimes against the Palestinian people,&#8221; the Adalah legal rights centre said in a statement reacting to the footage.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Lawyers from the Palestinian rights group went to the detention centre in southern Israel to meet the more than 430 detained activists.<\/p>\n<p>The Palestinian Islamist movement <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/hamas\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Hamas<\/a>, which controls under half of Gaza and whose attack on Israel on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/october-7-attacks\/\" target=\"_self\">October 7, 2023<\/a>, sparked the war in the Palestinian territory, also condemned the video.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement, it called Ben Gvir&#8217;s actions &#8220;an expression of the moral depravity and sadism that govern the mentality of the leaders of the criminal enemy entity&#8221; (Israel).<\/p>\n<p><em>(FRANCE 24 with AP, Reuters and AFP)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"o-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"o-sidebar__aside\">\n<div data-tms-ad-status=\"idle\" data-tms-ad-container class=\"o-ad-container o-ad-container--box o-ad-container--with-shimmer\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__content o-ad-container__content--report-enabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__label m-block-ad__label--report-enabled\">\n                    <span class=\"o-ad-container__label__text\">Advertising<\/span><br \/>\n                                            <button title=\"Report this ad\" class=\"o-ad-container__content__report-link\" data-tms-ad-report><br \/>\n                        <\/button>\n                                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__tags t-content__below-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"m-section-title m-section-title--small\">Keywords for this article<\/div>\n<ul class=\"m-tags-list\">\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/israel\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Israel\">    Israel<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/activists\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"activists\">    activists<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/war-in-gaza\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"War in Gaza\">    War in Gaza<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/itamar-ben-gvir\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Itamar Ben-Gvir\">    Itamar Ben-Gvir<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/far-right\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"far right\">    far right<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/gaza-strip\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Gaza Strip\">    Gaza Strip<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/video\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"video\">    video<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Advertising Far-right Israeli minister sparks outcry with video of bound and kneeling Gaza flotilla activists&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":857,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/856","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=856"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/856\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/857"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}