On Wednesday, Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir had posted a video showing the brutal treatment inflicted on foreign activists from the flotilla who had been detained at sea by Israel as they awaited expulsion in the southern port of Ashdod.
In this video, dozens of activists are forced to kneel, their foreheads against the ground and their hands tied.
Immediate reaction from Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who described the treatment of the activists as “unacceptable”.
Tajani announced on X that he had requested sanctions against the minister for “having intercepted the activists in international waters and subjected them to acts of harassment and humiliation, in violation of the most basic human rights”.
The day before, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had already described the treatment of the activists as “inadmissible” and demanded apologies from Israel.
On Wednesday, Sánchez wrote on X that “the images of Israeli minister Ben-Gvir humiliating members of the international Gaza flotilla are unacceptable. We will not tolerate anyone mistreating our citizens”.
In Ireland, a letter revealed that Prime Minister Micheál Martin urged the EU head to take “new measures” against Israel after the treatment of the activists.
In the letter addressed to European Council President Antonio Costa, Martin condemned the “shocking treatment of EU citizens” by Israel and Ben-Gvir’s “unacceptable conduct”.
The letter dated Wednesday calls for a debate on this issue at the upcoming meeting of the European Council in June.
