Arab-Islamic states condemn Israeli minister Ben-Gvir over Gaza flotilla detention

JERUSALEM: The foreign ministers of the Group of Eight Arab-Islamic states on Sunday (May 24) strongly condemned the actions of far-right Israeli police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir towards participants in the Gaza-bound flotilla while they were in Israeli detention.

Governments have expressed outrage after Ben-Gvir posted a video in which he taunted activists who were pinned to the ground. Some of the detainees, who had intended to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza, later alleged that they were physically assaulted in detention, which Israel's prison service denied.

The eight nations, which include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan, said in a statement: "Ben-Gvir's deliberate public humiliation of detainees is a disgraceful assault on human dignity and a clear violation of Israel's obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, and international human rights law."

Many other countries have condemned Ben-Gvir's actions.

France has decided to ban Israel's far-right police minister from French territory, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Saturday, adding that this reflected growing anger among governments around the world over the treatment of an activist flotilla heading to Gaza.

"As from today, Itamar Ben-Gvir is banned from entering French territory," Barrot wrote on X.

"Along with my Italian counterpart, I am asking the European Union to also take sanctions against Itamar Ben-Gvir."

Ben-Gvir was rebuked by both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the United States, Israel's staunchest ally. Netanyahu said Ben-Gvir's conduct was "not in line with Israel's values and norms".

A spokesperson for Ben-Gvir did not immediately reply to a request for a comment on the French decision.

The activists, whose vessels were intercepted this week in international waters by the Israeli navy, have been deported from Israel.