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Updated ,first published
Israel’s ambassador to Australia has condemned the actions of Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who taunted detained flotilla activists, but brushed off the incident as “politics”.
Hillel Newman, who was subject to an official rebuke from officials at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade over the incident on Thursday, joined Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior members of the country’s cabinet in condemning Ben-Gvir, but said an immediate penalty was impossible as the government had entered a pre-election “transitional” period.
Addressing journalists at Parliament House in Canberra, Newman, barely three months into his appointment, said of the incident: “It doesn’t happen in politics? Never happened in Australia that you’ve had a minister that does something which is not accepted by other ministers. There is politics.”
“There can be ministers in Australia, politicians in Australia, even part of a party that is ruling that can do things that are disgraceful. The question is, how you respond and whether you condemn it. In this case, Ben-Gvir was condemned by the leadership of the state of Israel.”
A series of social media videos published by Ben-Gvir show the minister taunting groups of activists who had been detained while sailing towards Gaza on board the Global Sumud Flotilla. Detainees were zip-tied and forced to kneel on the ground. Australian flotilla spokespeople have confirmed no Australians were depicted, but have yet to confirm the health of the 11 citizens currently held by Israel.
Newman said all Australians were well and would be swiftly processed.
The videos have received widespread international condemnation. Netanyahu, echoed by Newman, said the actions were “not in line with Israel’s values and norms”, but the flotilla’s mission amounted to unnecessary provocation.
Newman said Ben-Gvir was directly responsible for police forces who may have participated in the activity, and that an investigation into the incident was likely.
“I don’t know how it folded out, how he managed to get them into that position, but once it was known to the government of Israel, it was condemned by the government of Israel entirely,” Newman said.
“It’s not acceptable, it’s disgraceful … I say this also to the government of Australia: we have the same concerns. It does not reflect our values … and therefore is condemned and declared disgraceful and harmful to the state.”
Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Thursday morning condemned the actions as “shocking and unacceptable” and ordered Newman to appear before DFAT. A meeting between Australian officials and the ambassador took place late on Thursday afternoon.
“The images we have seen posted by Israeli minister Ben-Gvir – who Australia has sanctioned – are shocking and unacceptable. We condemn his actions and the degrading actions of Israeli authorities towards those detained,” Wong said.
The government has called for all detained Australians travelling on the Global Sumud Flotilla to be released and for Israel to comply with international obligations to treat detainees respectfully.
This is the second time Israel’s ambassador to Australia has been called in, after his predecessor Amir Maimon was summoned amid accusations of starvation and famine-like conditions in Gaza last July.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was among the most vocal critics of Ben-Gvir’s behaviour, calling it a “violation of human dignity” and summoning Israel’s ambassador to Rome. The US ambassador to Israel and strong supporter of the nation’s settler movement, Mike Huckabee, called Ben-Gvir’s actions “despicable”, saying he had “betrayed the dignity of his nation”.
The Australia Israel & Jewish Affairs Council, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry and the Zionist Federation of Australia echoed Netanyahu and Newman’s condemnation of Ben-Gvir and the flotilla participants.
Ben-Gvir was filmed walking among some of the approximately 430 detained activists who tried to breach Israel’s blockade of Gaza, and telling them they should face lengthy imprisonment.
“Welcome to Israel, we are the landlords,” says Ben-Gvir, waving a large Israeli flag. One handcuffed activist shouts “free Palestine” and is immediately pushed to the ground by security personnel as Ben-Gvir walks by.
In another video, Ben-Gvir says the activists “came here all full of pride like big heroes. Look at them now”, while appealing to Netanyahu to grant him permission to imprison them.
Asked whether Ben-Gvir would be able to act in a similar manner should he be re-elected, Newman said: “Any politician can do something tomorrow morning … He’s been condemned by the leadership, by the prime minister and the foreign minister, but in the end he’s not hurt anyone, he’s not attacked anyone”.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar publicly chastised Ben-Gvir on X, saying: “You knowingly caused harm to our State in this disgraceful display … you are not the face of Israel”.
Australians Neve O’Connor, Sam Woripa Watson, Anny Mokotow, Isla Lamont, Juliet Lamont, Surya McEwen, Zack Schofield, Bianca Webb-Pullman, Gemma O’Toole, Violet Coco and Helen O’Sullivan were all detained by Israel earlier this week.
Flotilla organisers and DFAT were yet to speak to the Australians on Thursday afternoon, but were expected to contact them later in the day.
“The legal team is in constant communication with DFAT, but unfortunately, both the legal team and the Australian family members, we’re still in the dark,” Bernadette Zaydan, a lawyer representing the majority of the Australian participants, said.
“We know that there are some serious injuries that have been sustained by some of the participants, but we don’t know if any Australians were affected.”
Netanyahu has given instructions for the activists to be deported “as soon as possible”,
The Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel accused the nation’s authorities of “employing a criminal policy of abuse and humiliation against activists”, arguing that Israel had faced “zero accountability” for its actions against subsequent flotilla missions.
Flotilla organisers claimed Israeli soldiers fired on five boats during their interception, causing some damage.
Newman rebuffed this claim, saying interceptions “took place within the most sensitive manner” and that no one was harmed.
Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla, which set off from Turkey last week, about 268 kilometres off the Gaza coastline, according to the flotilla’s website.
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Nick Newling is a federal politics reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X or email.
Bronte Gossling is a reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, WAtoday and Brisbane Times.Connect via email.From our partners
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