Israeli National Security Minister and head of Jewish Power party Itamar Ben-Gvir gives a statement to members of the press, ahead of a possible ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Jerusalem, Jan. 16, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Oren Ben Hakoon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar issued rare public rebukes of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Wednesday after he filmed himself confronting detained Gaza flotilla activists, prompting a wave of criticism from Israeli officials and pro-Israel advocates who warned that the far-right minister had turned a successful security operation into an unnecessary strategic and diplomatic liability.

Netanyahu defended Israel’s right to stop the flotilla, which aimed to breach its naval blockade of Gaza, but sharply distanced himself from Ben-Gvir’s conduct.

“Israel has every right to prevent provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters from entering our territorial waters and reaching Gaza,” Netanyahu said. “However, the way that Minister Ben-Gvir dealt with the flotilla activists is not in line with Israel’s values and norms.”

Sa’ar went further, accusing Ben-Gvir of knowingly harming Israel’s national interests.

“You knowingly caused harm to our State in this disgraceful display — and not for the first time,” Sa’ar posted on X. “You have undone tremendous, professional, and successful efforts made by so many people — from IDF soldiers to Foreign Ministry staff and many others. No, you are not the face of Israel.”

The video, posted to social media by Ben-Gvir on Wednesday with the caption “Welcome to Israel,” showed dozens of detained activists after their arrival in Ashdod, some kneeling on the ground with their hands zip-tied behind their backs as Israel’s national anthem played over loudspeakers. Ben-Gvir, flanked by security personnel, walked among the detainees waving a large Israeli flag and shouting in Hebrew, “Welcome to Israel, we are the landlords,” according to the Associated Press and Times of Israel.

Ben-Gvir’s video quickly triggered a widening diplomatic incident.

Italy — led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, one of Israel’s more reliable supporters in Europe — summoned Israel’s ambassador after the footage emerged. Canada also summoned Israel’s ambassador over what it called “very disturbing” footage, while Spain and the Netherlands, two of Israel’s fiercest Western European critics during the Gaza war, also summoned Israeli diplomats.

The public criticism from Netanyahu and Sa’ar was notable in Israeli political terms, where coalition discipline often keeps disputes with senior ministers behind closed doors. It also reflected broader concern that Ben-Gvir’s actions had undermined what Israeli officials and supporters described as a complex, weeks-long effort by Israeli security forces to intercept Gaza-bound flotillas without casualties or serious incidents.

Israeli forces have faced repeated attempts by activists in recent months to challenge the naval blockade of Gaza, which was put in place to stop weapons and other key supplies from getting into the hands of Hamas terrorists. from Supporters of the operations said the activists were stopped, processed, and deported to their countries of origin without injuries — an outcome they argued was being overshadowed by Ben-Gvir’s decision to stage and publicize a confrontation with detainees.

Public backlash came not only from Ben-Gvir’s usual opponents but also from a range of pro-Israel voices spanning the political right and center.

Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, a pro-Israel NGO, addressed Netanyahu directly, writing: “Your Minister of Police Itamar Ben Gvir is a disgrace and a desecration. You need to fire him now.”

Zvika Klein, editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post, said he was “utterly ashamed and disgusted” by what he called Ben-Gvir’s “pathetic, childish stunt,” adding: “The humiliating way he filmed and mocked detainees is a national disgrace.”

Hillel Fuld, a prominent pro-Israel commentator often associated with Israel’s political right, wrote that Ben-Gvir was “a real idiot” and “nothing but a liability to the state of Israel.”