Netanyahu Addresses Mounting Criticism of Ben-Gvir Flotilla Video

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed mounting international criticism on May 20 over the treatment of activists detained aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla after footage released by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir showed detainees restrained on the ground.

“Israel has every right to prevent provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters from entering our territorial waters and reaching Gaza,” Netanyahu said in a May 20 statement. “However, the way that Minister Ben Gvir dealt with the flotilla activists is not in line with Israel’s values and norms.”

Netanyahu said he instructed Israeli authorities to deport the activists “as soon as possible.”

The controversy followed the release of a video posted on Ben-Gvir’s X account on May 20 showing detained activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla after Israeli naval forces intercepted the convoy near Cyprus earlier this week.

The footage shows dozens of people lying face down with their hands restrained behind their backs while Ben-Gvir tells the police they are doing a good job. The video also shows Ben-Gvir saying to a detained man, “The nation of Israel lives.”

One woman was shown shouting “free, free Palestine” before security personnel forced her to the floor.

The backlash quickly spread among Israeli and international leaders and officials.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar criticized Ben-Gvir in a May 20 post on X.

“You deliberately caused damage to the state in this disgraceful performance, and not for the first time,” Sa’ar wrote.

Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee have also condemned Ben-Gvir’s actions.

“Universal outrage & condemnation from every high-ranking Israeli official for despicable actions by Ben Gvir,” Huckabee wrote in a May 20 post on X. “Flotilla was stupid stunt, but Ben Gvir betrayed dignity of his nation.”

The Global Sumud Flotilla said Netanyahu’s criticism of Ben-Gvir was an attempt to contain diplomatic fallout while preserving broader Israeli policies toward Gaza.

“Netanyahu’s performative outrage over Ben Gvir’s treatment of flotilla activists exposes the regime’s desperate attempt to control its own narrative while maintaining the same brutal system,” the group wrote in a May 20 post on X.

Western Governments Demand Explanations

Several allied governments summoned Israeli ambassadors or demanded formal explanations after the footage circulated online.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, in a May 20 statement on X, called the treatment of civilians aboard the flotilla “abominable.”

Canada’s foreign ministry later confirmed that Israeli Ambassador Iddo Moed had been summoned for discussions regarding the treatment of Canadian citizens detained aboard the flotilla.

Activists said 11 Canadians were among those detained when Israeli naval forces intercepted approximately 50 vessels near Cyprus on May 18.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the images “unacceptable” and said Italy would seek the immediate release of Italian citizens involved.

“It is inadmissible that these demonstrators … are subjected to this treatment that violates human dignity,” Meloni said on X.

The UK and French Foreign Ministers Yvette Cooper and Jean-Noël Barrot said they were “appalled” by the video and described Ben-Gvir’s actions as “unacceptable.”

“We are in touch with the families of a number of British nationals involved to provide them with consular support,” Cooper said. “We have demanded an explanation from the Israeli authorities and made clear their obligations to protect the rights of our citizens and all those involved.”

Barrot said that the Israeli ambassador to France would be summoned.

The European Union also criticized the treatment of the activists. The bloc’s spokesperson, Anouar El Anouni, on May 20 called on Jerusalem to ensure the “protection and dignified treatment of these activists, including several EU citizens.”

Irish Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the detentions were incompatible with international law.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said in a May 20 statement that the treatment of activists demonstrated “methodical Israeli behavior and official policy that gives no qualms about any attention to human dignity.”

The ministry called for the immediate release of the detainees and urged the international community to hold Israel accountable.

The criticism came as the U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions on May 19 against four individuals associated with the flotilla, saying the convoy was organized by the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, which Washington classifies as a Hamas-linked organization.

Treasury officials said Hamas officials were embedded within the organization’s leadership structure.