Ben Gvir Waves Israeli Flag Over Handcuffed Flotilla Activists, Then Shares the Video
Israel's National Security Minister Ben Gvir arrived at Ashdod port, stood over handcuffed flotilla activists with their faces to the floor, declared "the summer camp is over" and distributed the footage. Protests erupted across Europe.
Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir arrived at Ashdod port Wednesday morning, stood over flotilla activists lying handcuffed with their faces to the floor, waved the Israeli flag and distributed the footage himself.
"The summer camp is over," Ben Gvir declared in the video, addressing the detained activists. "Anyone who acts against the State of Israel will find a determined nation. Am Yisrael Chai."
The footage, released by Ben Gvir's office as "free for use," showed the minister flanked by prison service officers and police as activists sat on the ground in restraints. At one point, a female activist shouted "Free Palestine" at the minister and was immediately pinned to the floor by Israel Prison Service guards.
Transport Minister Miri Regev also made the trip to Ashdod, posting her own video on X with the message: "This is what will happen to terrorism supporters who came to break the siege on Gaza."
Israeli naval commandos intercepted all 51 boats in the Global Sumud Flotilla on Tuesday, with more than 430 activists taken into Israeli custody and transferred to Ashdod port. The flotilla, led by Turkish aid organization IHH, designated by Israel as a terror organization and the same group that organized the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla in which 10 Turkish activists were killed, had departed from the Turkish port of Marmaris carrying activists from some 30 countries.
Footage from the detention center showed Ben Gvir gesturing at activists and calling them "terrorists" and "supporters of murderers." He later toured one of the intercepted ships and claimed there was little genuine aid aboard beyond some baby formula, suggesting the crew had been having a "party."
Legal aid organization Adalah, which represents the detained activists, said its lawyers had met with 80 participants at Ketziot prison in the Negev. Adalah said around 87 activists had not met with a lawyer at any stage since their interception at sea.
International Fallout
The scenes at Ashdod drew immediate international condemnation. South Korea's President Lee Jae-myung accused Israel of "kidnapping" his citizens and raised the possibility of arresting Prime Minister Netanyahu under ICC warrants. Italy confirmed its nationals, including a member of parliament and a journalist, were among the detained. An Israeli rights group confirmed the activists were "detained at Ashdod port" and "taken into Israel against their will."
In Geneva, police fired pepper spray and water cannons at protesters rallying in support of the flotilla, while around 3,000 demonstrators gathered outside the European Parliament building in Brussels.
Israel's Foreign Ministry maintained that the flotilla was "nothing more than a PR stunt at the service of Hamas" and that Israel acted in full accordance with international law.