Israel subjecting its prisoners to humiliating torture is hardly news, but the international community is in turmoil this week after footage emerged of them doing it to Europeans rather than Palestinians.
Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, is shown lording it over bound and kneeling detainees. Their crime? Attempting to bring food and medical supplies to the beleaguered inhabitants of Gaza. It’s a nauseating watch, and genuinely confusing how anyone viewing it could possibly think this corpulent, chuckling sadist isn’t morally rotten to the core.
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir released a video showing detained participants of the intercepted Gaza-bound flotilla being bound and dragged in Israel's Ashdod Port, writing, "That's how we welcome the terror supporters. Welcome to Israel."
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) May 20, 2026
Read more here:… pic.twitter.com/Uuc9AXONsi
The video has drawn near-universal condemnation, even from countries that are usually Israel’s staunch allies, as their citizens are being abused on camera. Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni called it “unacceptable” and “intolerable” and summoned the Israeli ambassador. German ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, said the video was “wholly unacceptable.”
Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee said she was “appalled and shocked” by what she’d seen and demanded the immediate release of the “illegally detained” activists. Spain’s foreign minister José Manuel Albares, said Ben-Gvir’s behavior was “monstrous, disgraceful, and inhumane” and has summoned the Israeli envoy.
The UK’s Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said Israel’s behavior here “violates the most basic standards of respect and dignity.” Even Mike Huckabee – Mike Huckabee – was moved to criticize Ben-Gvir, saying his actions “betrayed [the] dignity of his nation.”
So I guess it’s fine when they do this to Palestinians?
The sick irony behind all this is that Israel does much more and much worse to Palestinians every single day, and most of these politicians look the other way. We just had The New York Times report that Israel is raping prisoners with dogs! Where were all these politicians then with their harsh words?
The blunt reality is that for Western politicians, Palestinians are subhumans whose lives are worth a tiny fraction of a white European’s. I’d like to think this controversy would result in some soul-searching from European politicians over the murderous apartheid state they’ve been so eagerly arming and defending, but somehow I suspect this anger will fade away as quickly as Palestinian blood being casually hosed off a cement wall.
And as for Ben-Gvir? Well, I guess he might get a little slap on the wrist from Benjamin Netanyahu, but for Israel’s government, the only crime he’s commited is making them look bad internationally.
C’mon Itavir, you must know by now that if you’re going to abuse prisoners, you do it off camera! And if you must film it, please make sure it stays in your private collection! Don’t post it online!
