Eight countries condemn Ben Gvir over flotilla detainee video
The governments of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt and Turkiye have jointly condemned Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir over a video showing detained activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla.
According to a statement cited by Qatar’s foreign ministry, the countries described Ben Gvir’s conduct as “horrific, humiliating, and unacceptable” after he shared footage appearing to show blindfolded activists kneeling with their hands bound at the port of Ashdod following their detention by Israeli forces.
The statement said the incident constituted “a disgraceful assault on human dignity” and alleged it violated Israel’s obligations under international law.
Basque police detain member of Global Sumud Flotilla upon arrival at Bilbao airport, Spain on 23 May 2026 (Idurre Etxaburu/AFP)