Gaza flotilla activists currently being detained in Israel
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What viral videos are circulating about Gaza flotilla activists?
First this morning, videos have gone viral of the treatment of the Gaza flotilla activists who are currently being detained in Israel. One of those videos shows an Irish citizen being grabbed and forced to the ground after shouting free Palestine as Israeli's National Security Minister, Itmar Ben-Gavir, walked by... Let's get the latest on this. I'm joined firstly by Sky News Middle East correspondent Adam Parsons. In a moment, I'll speak to Dan Pfefferman, who's a retired major and former IDF intelligence member and co-founder of Middle East 24. But Adam, first to you, what has the reaction been to this in Israel and further afield?
Well, I think outside of Israel, you've seen this reaction from a variety of countries who've expressed shock and anger, whether that is Ireland, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Spain, the list goes on. Israeli ambassadors have been summoned. and foreign ministers and Giorgio Maloney in Italy, prime ministers, have said that this treatment is appalling and shocking. In Israel, we haven't had nearly that level of outrage. But what you have had are rebukes from within the cabinet, and that's unusual. And that goes, Gideon Sall, the foreign minister, was very quick out of the blocks after this video was released to say that, to say that Itamar Ben-Vegir, in his opinion, doesn't represent Israeli values, and this is not
country that we are. This is no shrinking liberal politician. He's a pretty tough foreign minister who toes the party line. So that was unusual. And then a rebuke from Benjamin Netanyahu himself against Ben-Gavir. So what we haven't seen yet, Claire, is anybody coming out in support of Ben-Gavir other than Interbar Ben-Gavir himself, who has doubled down and is, as he always is, wholly unapologetic and pretty proud of his position.
You might just explain to us this uncomfortable coalition that we have in power in Israel at the moment. This is why we have this disparity in views.
It is. And politics really underlies so much of this. So you do have a coalition, which includes Mr. Netanyahu's Likud party, a formidable right-wing party here. But in order to maintain power, he's had to embrace coalition parties who are much more extreme, much more far right, and led by firebrand politicians. There are two of them, Betele Smotrich is the finance minister. He's a man of very strong opinions. He's been a little more muted recently, whereas Ben Gavir, who is very far right nationalist by any standards, has become ever more forthright, including recently pushing through parliament legislation that makes the death penalty the default penalty for Palestinians and only Palestinians who are found guilty of certain terrorism offenses.
And he celebrated that decision with champagne and with a badge showing a sort of golden noose. This is a man who never backs down and says things that here and even in Israel, a country that's becoming ever more right-wing in its outlook, a lot of people find him wholly unpalatable.
So tell me what happens now when it comes to these activists who have been detained?
Well, they are going to be deported. Netanyahu in his statement yesterday made it clear that he wants these people out. Now, I mean, I think we should say the flotillas are not popular in Israel. So the fact that the Israeli naval forces intercepted these people and detained them, very few people in Israel believe that that is outrageous. It's the treatment, it's the humiliation of them. that has outraged people.
What has been the international reaction to the treatment of detained activists?
They are going to be deported. We're talking about over 400 people from many, many countries. So that process will take time. They've been held in the port of Ashdod Getting flights in and out of Israel at the moment logistically is not that straightforward. But my feeling is that once Netanyahu has effectively said, I want this off of my table, I think heaven and earth will be moved today to get as many of these people deported home as quickly as possible.
Now, we began by talking about the international reaction to this, and I'm sure you're aware that our own Prime Minister, Taoiseach Michal Martin, said he's seeking to get broader agreement in Europe on reviewing trade relations under the European Union-Israeli Association Agreement.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What viral videos are circulating about Gaza flotilla activists?
0:01–4:11
2
What has been the international reaction to the treatment of detained activists?
4:11–12:40
3
How is the Israeli government responding to the activists' detention?
12:40–13:47
4
What political dynamics are influencing Israel's current government?
13:47–19:20