The United Kingdom has strongly condemned an Israeli cabinet minister for what it described as “taunting” pro-Palestinian activists who were detained after participating in a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper expressed being “truly appalled” by a video posted by Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, which she said “violates the most basic standards of respect and dignity in the way people should be treated.”
UK Demands Explanation
In a formal statement, Cooper declared: “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.” She specifically criticized the “taunting” of individuals associated with the Global Sumud Flotilla. The incident has drawn widespread international backlash, with Italy and France also denouncing the video as “unacceptable.”
Video Shows Detained Activists
The footage released by Ben-Gvir depicts him walking among approximately 430 detained activists, flanked by police and soldiers while waving a large Israeli flag. He is heard telling the detainees: “Welcome to Israel, we are the landlords.” The video shows dozens of individuals kneeling with their hands bound behind their backs inside a makeshift detention area at Ashdod port and on a ship’s deck. At one point, a handcuffed activist shouts “Free Palestine” as Ben-Gvir passes, only to be immediately pushed to the ground by security personnel.
In a separate video, Ben-Gvir remarks that the activists “came here all full of pride like big heroes. Look at them now,” while appealing to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for permission to incarcerate them. Israel has characterized the flotilla as “a PR stunt at the service of Hamas,” asserting that the boats carried only a symbolic amount of aid with no genuine intent to deliver supplies to Gaza.
International Reactions
On Monday, the Israeli navy intercepted 41 boats from the flotilla in international waters off the coast of Cyprus and detained those on board. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni responded forcefully, stating: “It is intolerable that these protesters, among whom there are many Italian citizens, are subjected to this treatment, which violates human dignity.” She added that “Italy also demands an apology for the treatment inflicted on these demonstrators and for the total disregard shown towards the explicit requests of the Italian government.”
