Updated May 20, 2026 / CBS/AP
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly criticized National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir after videos circulated showing Ben-Gvir’s treatment of activists from the Sumud Global Flotilla. The footage, which Ben-Gvir himself posted, shows him walking among roughly 430 detained pro-Palestinian activists as they are held by Israeli police and soldiers.
In the clips, several activists appear handcuffed, kneeling with their heads bowed in a makeshift detention area at Ashdod port and on the deck of a ship. One handcuffed activist shouting “Free Palestine” is immediately shoved to the ground by security personnel as Ben-Gvir passes. In another portion of the footage, Ben-Gvir waves a large Israeli flag and says to the detained activists, “Welcome to Israel, we are the landlords,” later adding that they had “come here all full of pride like big heroes” and urging Netanyahu to allow him to jail them for a “long, long time.”
Ben-Gvir, a far-right minister who has been sanctioned by some Western allies for inflammatory rhetoric toward Palestinians, posted the clips to social media. The videos prompted swift domestic and international backlash.
Netanyahu defended Israel’s right to stop what he called “provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters” from entering Israeli waters and reaching Gaza, but said Ben-Gvir’s behavior in the videos “is not in line with Israel’s values and norms.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar publicly rebuked Ben-Gvir on X, calling the episode a “disgraceful performance” that harmed the state, and said “No you are not the face of Israel.” Ben-Gvir replied on X that Israel “has stopped being a pushover” and warned that anyone entering Israeli territory to “support terrorism … will get slapped.”
Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, criticized Ben-Gvir’s actions as “reckless grandstanding” that undermines diplomatic efforts. The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, was also quoted saying the flotilla was a “stupid stunt” but that Ben-Gvir “betrayed the dignity of his nation.”
International responses included Italy summoning Israel’s ambassador after Prime Minister Georgia Meloni called the video “unacceptable” and demanded an apology for the treatment of demonstrators. France likewise summoned the Israeli ambassador, with Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot saying the conduct was “unacceptable” and urging that French participants be treated with respect and released quickly.
An Israel-based legal advocacy group, Adalah, accused authorities of a “criminal policy of abuse and humiliation” against flotilla activists and said its lawyers were providing legal help at Ashdod while demanding the detainees’ immediate release. Adalah noted similar allegations from past flotilla missions and called for international measures to protect activists.
The flotilla, intended to highlight humanitarian conditions in Gaza, was intercepted by Israeli forces after departing from Turkey. Organizers said Israeli troops fired on five boats during interdictions, causing some damage. Israel’s foreign ministry told CBS News that no live ammunition was used and that “nonlethal means” were employed as warnings without targeting or injuring protesters. Israeli officials have branded the flotilla a public relations stunt with little real aid aboard.
The episode has intensified scrutiny of Ben-Gvir’s conduct and put Netanyahu in the position of defending security actions while condemning behavior by a senior minister that has prompted diplomatic fallout. Israeli officials and diplomats said the footage undermines state efforts to manage international criticism amid the broader conflict surrounding Gaza.