{"id":899,"date":"2026-05-21T10:41:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T10:41:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/2026\/05\/21\/backlash-against-israels-racist-thug-ben-gvir-over-flotilla-video\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T10:41:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T10:41:15","slug":"backlash-against-israels-racist-thug-ben-gvir-over-flotilla-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arabnewsmonitor.com\/?p=899","title":{"rendered":"Backlash against Israel&#8217;s &#8216;racist thug&#8217; Ben Gvir over flotilla video"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"t-content t-content--edition\" id=\"main-content\">\n<div class=\"t-content__with-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"t-content__beside-sidebar\" data-article-content>\n<h1 class=\"t-content__title a-page-title\">Backlash against Israel&#8217;s &#8216;racist thug&#8217; Ben Gvir over flotilla video<\/h1>\n<div class=\"m-master-tag\">\n<div class=\"a-tag-section\">\n                                    Middle East\n                            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"o-video-player o-video-player--16x9 t-content__main-media\" data-media-video-da682263-8c44-4926-ae91-bf87223ab6aa data-show-hidden-video-player=\"DA682263-8C44-4926-AE91-BF87223AB6AA\" data-wrapper-video-player data-autoplay-video-link data-youtube-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 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=\"DA682263-8C44-4926-AE91-BF87223AB6AA\"><\/div>\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\/34b15b6a-54df-11f1-9ce3-005056a90284\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/Anglais-2026-05-21T05-22-22-510Z.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/34b15b6a-54df-11f1-9ce3-005056a90284\/w:388\/p:16x9\/Anglais-2026-05-21T05-22-22-510Z.jpg 388w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/34b15b6a-54df-11f1-9ce3-005056a90284\/w:720\/p:16x9\/Anglais-2026-05-21T05-22-22-510Z.jpg 720w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/34b15b6a-54df-11f1-9ce3-005056a90284\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/Anglais-2026-05-21T05-22-22-510Z.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1076px) 100vw, 1012px\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" alt=\"PRESS REVIEW\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"a-img \"><figcaption class=\"a-figcaption\">\n                <span>PRESS REVIEW<\/span>                <span>\u00a9 FRANCE 24<\/span>            <\/figcaption><div class=\"m-item-image__overlay-wrapper\">\n                <button class=\"m-main-media-btn\" aria-label=\"Backlash against Israel's 'racist thug' Ben Gvir over flotilla video: 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\">05:29<\/time>                <\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\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=\"2026-05-21T10:37:37+00:00\">21\/05\/2026 &#8211; 12:37<\/time><\/span><span class=\"m-pub-dates__date\">Modified: <time datetime=\"2026-05-21T10:39:02+00:00\">21\/05\/2026 &#8211; 12:39<\/time><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__video-duration\">\n<p>                            05:29 min\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<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__page-cta\">\n<div class=\"a-audio-player-btn a-audio-player-btn--skeleton a-audio-player-btn--cta\" data-root-audio-player-button data-short-lived-vue-app data-site-nav-close>\n<p>                <span class=\"a-audio-player-btn__label\">Play (05:29 min) <\/span><\/p>\n<p>                                            <span class=\"a-svg a-svg--icon-audio\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"a-circle-loader\">\n<\/div>\n<p>                <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                                    <a href=\"\/en\/tv-shows\/press\/\" class=\"t-content__program m-program\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"m-program__label\">From the show<\/div>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/f8bef18a-0edb-11ef-b0ac-005056a97e36\/header-press-review.svg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/f8bef18a-0edb-11ef-b0ac-005056a97e36\/header-press-review.svg\" alt=\"Press Review\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"a-img  a-img--svg\"><\/p>\n<p>                    <\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"t-content__reading-time a-reading-time\">\n<p>                        <span class=\"t-content__reading-time__label\">Reading time<\/span><br \/>\n                        3 min<\/div>\n<p class=\"t-content__chapo\">\n                                                PRESS REVIEW\u00a0\u2013 Thursday, May 21: There&#8217;s outrage and condemnation in the international papers over a video showing Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir taunting detained flotilla activists. One Israeli editor says he should be fired for his video. Also: the US indicts former Cuban president Raul Castro\u00a0\u2013 is this a prelude for a Maduro-style US military operation in Cuba? Plus, a study shows that cows can recognise familiar faces\u00a0\u2013 they have &#8220;d\u00e9j\u00e0 moo&#8221;!                    <\/p>\n<div class=\"t-content__body u-clearfix\">\n<p>There&#8217;s international outrage after far-right Israeli minister <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/itamar-ben-gvir\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Itamar Ben-Gvir<\/a> taunted detained flotilla <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/activists\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">activists<\/a> at the port of Ashdod. In a video published on X, the national security minister threatened the activists with prison as he toured the makeshift space with an Israeli flag in his hand. Hundreds of detained activists can be seen in the video, with some seen kneeling with their hands bound behind their back. The footage has sparked international condemnation and even a rare rebuke from Israeli Prime Minister <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/benjamin-netanyahu\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a>. The conservative daily <strong>Jerusalem Post <\/strong>calls Ben-Gvir&#8217;s actions &#8220;disdainful&#8221;. <strong>Haaretz<\/strong>, the centre-left Israeli daily which is critical of Netanyahu, condemns Ben-Gvir&#8217;s actions as &#8220;cruder than others but certainly in line with the norms of today&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/israel\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Israel<\/a>.&#8221; The editor calls the violence against and humiliation of activists in front of cameras and ministers &#8220;a disgrace that cannot be hidden&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>There is also swift backlash in the conservative website\u00a0<strong>Times of Israel.<\/strong>\u00a0The editor David Horowitz pens an op-ed calling Ben-Gvir a &#8220;far-right Jewish supremacist&#8221; and &#8220;racist thug.&#8221; As national security minister, he writes, Ben-Gvir has harmed &#8220;Israel&#8217;s security, reputation and internal well-being&#8221;, calling for him to be fired. Italian Prime Minister <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/giorgia-meloni\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Giorgia Meloni<\/a> was one of the first international leaders to condemn the video, as some of the activists are Italian. <strong>La Repubblica <\/strong>says &#8220;shame on Israel&#8221; on its front page. <strong>La Stampa <\/strong>sees Ben-Gvir as the minister who has &#8220;triggered a crisis between <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/italy\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Italy<\/a> and Israel.&#8221;\u00a0<strong>Il Fatto Quotidiano <\/strong>says the flotilla has &#8220;brought Israel to its knees&#8221;. It says Israel&#8217;s &#8220;new act of piracy&#8221; in international waters nonetheless is not at all surprising, given that Israel &#8220;violates all rules and conventions anyway&#8221;.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Over in the US, an indictment has been announced against former Cuban president <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/raul-castro\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Raul Castro<\/a>, dating back to a fatal downing of two planes in 1996. The indictment was issued in a federal district court in Miami on Wednesday. <strong>The New York Times <\/strong>describes it as an &#8220;extraordinary escalation of the multifaceted pressure campaign against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/cuba\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Cuba<\/a>&#8216;s communist government.&#8221; Castro, 94, is accused of murder and conspiracy to kill Americans over the 1996 downing of two planes off the coast of Cuba. The planes were operated by a Cuban exile group that scoured the waters for Cuban nationals fleeing the country. Four people died in the incident.\u00a0Nonetheless, <strong>The Economist <\/strong>notes that Cubans are not dismissing the possibility of a US operation \u2013 the current regime is playing it up \u2013 with civilians getting military training and leaflets being handed out telling people how to prepare for war.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The editors of the <strong>Wall Street Journal <\/strong>call the indictment a &#8220;welcome attempt to provide justice for the murdered Americans&#8221;. The business daily notes that it comes at a time of growing vulnerability for Cuba, as its &#8220;Venezuelan sugar daddy has been cut off.&#8221; The island is running out of diesel and fuel oil for its power plants with blackouts lasting hours, services in shambles and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/food\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">food<\/a> supplies hard to come by.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Finally, a new study shows that cows can recognise the faces of familiar humans. The study, run by French researchers, set out to test whether our bovine friends can discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar faces. It turns out that cows have <em>d\u00e9j\u00e0 moo. <\/em>They are capable of identifying familiar faces and matching them with the same voices. The findings could <em>moo<\/em>-tivate farmers to work with certain cows to strengthen their human-animal relationships. But if you&#8217;re a meat farmer, however, this would probably be a <em>moo-t<\/em> point!<\/p>\n<p><em>You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__authors t-content__authors--multiple\">\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 m-author--small m-author--has-image\">\n<div class=\"m-author__image\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/9cd99aae-e074-11ee-9d0c-005056bf30b7\/w:388\/p:1x1\/avatar-Dheepthika_Laurent.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/9cd99aae-e074-11ee-9d0c-005056bf30b7\/w:177\/p:1x1\/avatar-Dheepthika_Laurent.jpg 177w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/9cd99aae-e074-11ee-9d0c-005056bf30b7\/w:388\/p:1x1\/avatar-Dheepthika_Laurent.jpg 388w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 639px) 100px, 170px\" width=\"388\" height=\"388\" alt=\"Dheepthika Laurent\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"a-img \"><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"m-author__name\">\n                                                    <a href=\"\/en\/dheepthika-laurent\/\" title=\"Dheepthika LAURENT\" class=\"m-author__name__title\"><br \/>\n                                Dheepthika LAURENT<br \/>\n                            <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"m-from-author\">\n                    <span class=\"m-from-author__by-label\"><br \/>\n                Video by:<br \/>\n            <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"m-author m-author--small m-author--has-image\">\n<div class=\"m-author__image\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/9cd99aae-e074-11ee-9d0c-005056bf30b7\/w:388\/p:1x1\/avatar-Dheepthika_Laurent.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/9cd99aae-e074-11ee-9d0c-005056bf30b7\/w:177\/p:1x1\/avatar-Dheepthika_Laurent.jpg 177w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/9cd99aae-e074-11ee-9d0c-005056bf30b7\/w:388\/p:1x1\/avatar-Dheepthika_Laurent.jpg 388w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 639px) 100px, 170px\" width=\"388\" height=\"388\" alt=\"Dheepthika Laurent\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"a-img \"><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"m-author__name\">\n                                                    <a href=\"\/en\/dheepthika-laurent\/\" title=\"Dheepthika LAURENT\" class=\"m-author__name__title\"><br \/>\n                                Dheepthika LAURENT<br \/>\n                            <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\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\">Related keywords<\/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\/war-in-gaza\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"War in Gaza\">    War in Gaza<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Backlash against Israel&#8217;s &#8216;racist thug&#8217; 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