Italy and Spain have urged the European Union to impose sanctions on Israel’s far-right Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, after he published a video showing detained activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla being forced to kneel with their hands tied.
The footage, posted on Wednesday, triggered international criticism. It showed dozens of activists kneeling with their foreheads to the ground and their hands bound, after they were detained at sea by Israeli forces and taken to the southern port of Ashdod to await deportation.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the treatment of the activists as “unacceptable”. Tajani said on X on Thursday that he had requested sanctions against Ben-Gvir over the detention of activists in international waters and their alleged harassment and humiliation, which he said violated basic human rights.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had also condemned the treatment of the activists on Wednesday, calling it “unacceptable” and demanding an apology from Israel.
Sánchez said the images of Ben-Gvir humiliating members of the international flotilla in support of Gaza were unacceptable, adding that Spain would not tolerate mistreatment of its citizens. He said sanctions against Ben-Gvir were now an “urgent matter” for Brussels, noting that Spain had already announced in September that the minister would be banned from entering the country.
In Ireland, a leaked letter showed Prime Minister Micheál Martin urging European Council President António Costa to take “further action” against Israel over its treatment of the activists. In the letter, leaked to AFP on Thursday by an anonymous government source, Martin condemned Israel’s “shocking treatment of EU citizens” and Ben-Gvir’s “unacceptable behaviour”.
“At the very least, this should include a ban on products from Israeli settlements and the suspension of parts, if not all, of the EU-Israel Association Agreement,” Martin said. The agreement, signed in June 2000, sets out a framework for cooperation and includes a clause requiring respect for human rights.
The United Kingdom also summoned Israel’s ambassador on Thursday over what it described as the “incendiary video”. The footage, captioned “Welcome to Israel”, also showed Ben-Gvir mocking the activists while waving an Israeli flag.
The activists had departed from Turkey last week with around 50 vessels as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla. It was the latest attempt by activists to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza, after Israeli forces intercepted a previous convoy last month.
Source: CNA
