Israelis slam Ben Gvir for ‘damaging country's image’ with flotilla abuse video Nadav Rapaport on Thu, 05/21/2026 - 14:39 Officials and opposition accuse security minister of harming Israel’s image while overlooking abuse shown in footage Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir taunted detained activists as they were manhandled by Israeli officers (Screengrab/X/@itamarbengvir)OffThe video of Itamar Ben Gvir overseeing the mistreatment of Gaza-bound flotilla activists on Wednesday has sparked a backlash inside Israel, with both allies and opponents accusing him of damaging the country’s image while largely ignoring the abuse shown in the footage.The national security minister was filmed waving an Israeli flag and confronting activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla as they were being manhandled and forced to kneel facing the ground by officers from the Israel Prison Service (IPS).The footage drew condemnation from several world leaders, including officials from countries whose citizens were among those detained by Israel.Criticism also emerged within Israel, though it was largely focused on concerns that the video had damaged the country’s standing abroad."The way that Minister Ben Gvir dealt with the flotilla activists is not in line with Israel’s values and norms,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, amid mounting international criticism.  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said Ben Gvir had “caused harm to our state in this disgraceful display”, adding that the minister was “not the face of Israel”.According to Israeli public broadcaster Kan 11, the foreign ministry, security establishment and the Israeli army’s spokesperson unit all opposed the publication of the footage, saying it undermined how authorities wanted the incident handled.Israeli naval forces raided the Gaza-bound flotilla earlier this week, detaining more than 30 activists on board before transferring them to Israeli custody. Most were deported on Thursday, except for those holding Israeli citizenship.Kan 11 reported that Israeli authorities had initially planned to detain the activists “without provocation” before deporting them via Ashdod port in southern Israel.According to the broadcaster, officials believed the operation had been handled without major incidents until Ben Gvir published the footage, with security sources reportedly describing the move as causing “enormous damage” to Israel.Suhad Bishara, the legal director of the Adalah legal centre, reported that testimonies from Global Sumud Flotilla activists indicate they are suffering “violence” in Israeli custody.pic.twitter.com/hYxG6ZfHFlMay 21, 2026Kan 11 military correspondent Itay Blumental reported that the Israeli navy had deployed photographers alongside troops during the raid on the flotilla, which involved 77 boats carrying hundreds of activists. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The army’s spokesperson unit reportedly wanted to release images showing activists being treated respectfully in order “to show the world” how Israeli forces behaved during the operation.However, the foreign ministry vetoed the publication of the military footage and instead “carefully selected” which images and videos would be released, Blumental reported.Opposing the image, not the actionsBen Gvir was criticised by other Israeli politicians over what they viewed as damage to Israel’s international image.Opposition leader Yair Lapid of the Yesh Atid party said Netanyahu, who appointed Ben Gvir, was ultimately responsible for the damage to Israel’s “hasbara” – a term commonly used to describe the Israeli state propaganda arm. Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party, described Ben Gvir as “a criminal and a strategic liability” to Israel. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); His party colleague Gilad Kariv said the national security minister “does not represent Israel”.“He does not represent Israeli values. He is a disgrace to Judaism and Zionism,” Kariv added.  Israel to pour $730m into propaganda arm amid reputational crisisRead More »However, critics noted that Israel’s interception of the flotilla in international waters, along with reactions defending Ben Gvir’s conduct, reflected broader attitudes within Israeli society and the political establishment.Ahmad Tibi, a Palestinian citizen of Israel and member of parliament, said Ben Gvir “does in fact represent the Israeli government and its values” as some commentators supported his actions.  Amichai Stein, diplomatic correspondent for i24NEWS, wrote that Ben Gvir had every right to tell the activists “they are terrorists who hate Israel”, but argued he should not be managing Israel’s international messaging.On Channel 14, widely viewed as supportive of Netanyahu and his allies, panellists also defended the minister’s actions.“We want to show the world that we treat these people like cockroaches here,” one panellist said during a broadcast discussing the flotilla activists.Miri Regev, Israel’s transport minister from Netanyahu’s Likud party, was also present at the site of the detention facility and, like Ben Gvir, posted footage from the scene.“This is what should be done to terror supporters who came to break the siege on Gaza,” Regev wrote on social media, while also accusing the activists of being under the influence of drugs and alcohol.Abuse by the military The Israeli navy has also been accused of abusing activists during the raid.Israeli news outlet Ynet reported that naval forces fired rubber bullets towards some vessels while blasting loud music through the ships’ communication systems.Adalah, a legal rights group representing several activists, said detainees reported suffering “extreme violence”, sexual humiliation and serious injuries at the hands of Israeli forces at sea and at Ashdod port.An IPS spokesperson told Haaretz that the treatment of the activists followed standard procedure.“All actions were carried out in accordance with procedures and professional considerations,” the spokesperson said.The IPS also said some footage showing activists being abused or humiliated had been filmed in areas under army and police control.Inside Israel Tel Aviv, IsraelNewsPost Date Override0 Update DateMon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override0