Israel's Itamar Ben-Gvir censured around world for activist 'abuse' video

May 21 (UPI) -- Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was the target of international outrage from the United States, Britain, France, Italy, Canada and Australia over footage he posted of him mocking and haranguing activists after they were detained in international waters in an attempt to bring aid to Gaza.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee condemned Ben-Gvir's taunting of activists who knelt before him with their hands zip-tied behind their backs at a detention center in southern Israel, as "despicable."

He said Ben-Gvir had "betrayed the nation of its dignity."

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper expressed shock at what she called "totally disgraceful scenes," saying she had demanded an urgent explanation from the Israeli embassy in London.

Cooper said the Foreign Office was working with families of British nationals affected to provide consular representation.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he had ordered the foreign ministry to summon the Israeli ambassador, saying the way Israel had treated the activists was "abominable."

"The protection of civilians and respect for human dignity must be upheld everywhere, at all times," he said.

Australia, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain also said that they had called in their respective Israeli ambassadors, calling Ben-Gvir's behaviour "unacceptable."

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said it was "unacceptable" and demanded that all Italian citizens affected be released. She said Israel must apologize for the treatment she said "violated human dignity" and the "total contempt" it had shown for the Italian government.

"Monstrous, disgraceful and inhumane" was how Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares described the scenes in Ben-Gvir's video.

Ireland's Foreign Minister, Helen McEntee, described the people in the video, Irish citizens among them, as "illegally detained participants" who were "not in any way being treated with appropriate dignity or respect."

Ben-Gvir was also criticized by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who issued a statement saying his actions were "not in line with Israel's values and norms," while Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused him of deliberately damaging Israel's international reputation.

"You knowingly caused harm to our state in this disgraceful display -- and not for the first time."

Ben-Gvir titled the video, which he posted on X on Wednesday, "Welcome to Israel."

The Adalah rights group, which organized the flotilla intercepted by Israeli forces off Cyprus on Monday, alleged detainees had been physically abused and denied their legal rights.

"The team reports systemic violations of due process, and widespread physical and psychological abuse by Israeli authorities," including "a large number of complaints of extreme violence," Adalah said in a statement.

Lawyers for the group said three activists had to be hospitalized due to the injuries they sustained but had since been released while dozens were suffering respiratory distress from suspected broken ribs.

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This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 7:28 AM.