US Leads Condemnation of Israel Minister Taunting Gaza Activists

The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has condemned a video posted by Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, which sparked international outrage and sharp criticism within Israel after showing blindfolded activists kneeling with their hands bound.

In the clip, shared on Ben-Gvir’s social media on Wednesday, the Israeli government minister taunted the detainees, who were aboard a flotilla carrying a nominal amount of aid for Gaza that departed from Turkey a week ago. Over 50 boats carrying 430 activists were en route to the devastated territory that’s currently under an Israeli naval blockade.

While carrying only a token shipment of aid toward the strip, the Global Sumud Flotilla has drawn eyes back to the humanitarian situation in Gaza, which has remained dire despite a ceasefire between the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel that’s been in place since October.

The incident also highlights the strain Ben-Gvir’s conduct has placed on Israel’s relationships with foreign governments. The national security minister is no stranger to international condemnation, having been barred since June 2025 from entering the U.K., Canada, Australia, Norway and New Zealand. In a joint statement at the time, the countries’ foreign ministers said Ben-Gvir and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich had “incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights.”

“These actions are not acceptable. We have engaged the Israeli Government on this issue extensively, yet violent perpetrators continue to act with encouragement and impunity,” it continued.

Human rights groups say enough humanitarian aid still isn’t getting into Gaza and diseases are on the rise.

Israel has previously intercepted aid flotillas bound for Gaza, and it deported two activists after stopping another Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters near Crete earlier this month.

The flotilla’s organizers said on Monday that Israeli commandos had boarded the boats in international waters close to Cyprus. All activists have now been deported from Israel, the country’s foreign ministry said on Thursday.

‘Despicable’ Footage

The footage Ben-Gvir posted drew immediate criticism from top Israeli officials, who are already contending with growing discomfort from Israeli allies over the war in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office-while calling the activists “provocateurs” and accusing those aboard the flotilla of supporting Hamas-said Ben-Gvir’s actions were “not in line with Israel’s values and norms.”

Ben-Gvir “deliberately caused damage to the state in this disgraceful performance,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said in a statement.

Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S., described the incident as “reckless grandstanding,” adding that Ben-Gvir’s choices “take a sledgehammer” to Israel’s diplomatic efforts around the world.

Huckabee said Ben-Gvir’s actions were “despicable” and had “betrayed” Israel, but the U.S. diplomat also said the flotilla was a “stupid stunt.”

At least 10 countries quickly summoned Israeli ambassadors or envoys over the incident.

Which Countries Summoned Israel’s Diplomats Over the Video?

• Canada‘s foreign minister, Anita Anand, called the video “absolutely unacceptable,” while Canadian media reported the Israeli ambassador had been summoned by the ministry in Ottawa. A total of 12 Canadian citizens are thought to be among the group of detained activists.
• Australia said it had summoned the Israeli ambassador in the country, while Foreign Minister Penny Wong described Ben-Gvir’s actions as “shocking and unacceptable.” Australian media reported that 11 nationals were part of the flotilla.
• New Zealand‘s government said the Israeli envoy to the country had been instructed to appear at the foreign ministry on Thursday to hear “grave concerns” from New Zealand’s top officials. New Zealand was one of several countries that banned Ben-Gvir from traveling to their territory last year. The country’s foreign minister, Winston Peters, said Ben-Gvir’s video was “further vindication of that position.”
• Poland’s foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, said the Israeli chargé d’affaires in Warsaw would be “immediately” summoned for the Polish government to “demand for an apology for the utterly inappropriate behavior.”
• In the Netherlands, Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said the treatment of the detainees in the video “violates basic human dignity.” Berendsen said he had discussed the issue with Sa’ar and would also summon the Israeli ambassador.
• Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said in a joint statement they had summoned the Israeli ambassador to face the government in Rome. “Italy also demands an apology for the treatment of these protesters and for the total disregard shown for the explicit requests of the Italian government,” the top officials said.
• France’s foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, said he had requested the summoning of the Israeli ambassador in Paris “to express our indignation and obtain explanations.”
• Spain’s foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, said Madrid had summoned Israel’s chargé d’affaires in response to the “monstrous, undignified, and humiliating treatment by an Israeli minister toward the Spaniards and the rest of the flotilla.”
• The top Israeli official in the U.K., Daniela Grudsky Ekstein, was summoned to the British foreign office on Thursday over the incident.
• Belgium said the footage Ben-Gvir published was “deeply disturbing” and summoned the Israeli ambassador.

Several other countries voiced condemnation of the video, including Ireland’s most senior officials. Ireland has been one of the most vocal critics of the Israeli government and the war in Gaza. Israel said in late 2024 it was shuttering its embassy in Dublin.

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This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 8:09 AM.