'Monstrous, disgraceful and inhumane': Israeli minister sparks outcry over video of bound flotilla activists

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir posted a video on Wednesday showing detained activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs and foreheads on the ground. The footage, published on Ben Gvir’s X account and captioned “Welcome to Israel”, shows dozens of activists on the deck of a military boat with the Israeli national anthem blaring, and in detention in Israel, where the minister is seen waving an Israeli flag. In the video he shared, he is seen encouraging staff at the detention centre as they push down an activist who had stood up to say “free free Palestine” as he walked by. Saad Edhi , the son of prominent social worker Faisal Edhi and the grandson of late philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, is reportedly among the activists detained. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised Gvir over his handling of the activists, adding that he had ordered the activists’ deportation. “The way minister Ben Gvir dealt with the flotilla activists is not in line with Israel’s values and norms. I have instructed the relevant authorities to deport the provocateurs (activists) as soon as possible,” Netanyahu claimed in a statement. Italy’s government said that Israel’s treatment of the activists was unacceptable and that it would summon the Israeli ambassador for an explanation. A strongly worded statement by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Italy “demands an apology for the treatment” of the activists and the “total disrespect” for the Italian government’s requests. “It is intolerable that these protesters, among whom there are many Italian citizens, are subjected to this treatment, which violates human dignity,” Meloni said. France said it had summoned the Israeli ambassador over Gvir’s “unacceptable actions”. “I have requested ...

Original source: Dawn Pakistan