A video showing Israel’s national security minister taunting detained Gaza flotilla activists has drawn criticism from Ireland and several other European countries, leading to a rare public rebuke by prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu of one of his own cabinet members.
Far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir released a video on Wednesday of him walking through a ship and taunting detained activists as they knelt on the floor with their hands bound.
A detained Irish activist, Caitríona Graham, is seen at the start of the video standing up and chanting “Free, Free Palestine” just before Ben-Gvir walks past, before she is restrained by soldiers and pushed back down by the head to a kneeing position.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was “shocked and appalled” at the behaviour of the Israeli minister who taunted and heckled detainees in the video.
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Martin also condemned as “disgusting” and “disgraceful” the video footage showing Graham being pushed to the ground by Israeli security personnel.
“It is disgusting behaviour. It’s disgraceful. It’s a blight on the Israeli government and other European leaders are likewise calling this out,” Martin said.
He said he was would seek to get broader agreement in Europe on reviewing trade relations under the European Union-Israeli Association Agreement.
“It’s no longer tenable that it would be business as usual with Israel, given its scant regard for European Union citizens. The right to protest is a sacred one, within any democracy. The flotilla was in international waters and people were essentially abducted by the Israeli Government on the high seas,” Martin said.
Graham was on board a previous flotilla boat intercepted by the Israeli navy three weeks ago. She spoke afterwards of being cable-tied, manhandled and left for 24 hours without adequate food or water.
Commenting on the video, Netanyahu said: “Israel has every right to prevent provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters from entering our territorial waters and reaching Gaza. However, the way that minister Ben-Gvir dealt with the flotilla activists is not in line with Israel’s values and norms.” He added he had instructed Israeli authorities to deport the activists “as soon as possible”.
Foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar said Ben-Gvir “is not the face of Israel”. He attacked his coalition partner, saying he “knowingly damaged the country with this horrendous charade, and not for the first time”.
Ben Gvir defended the release of the video. “There are some in the government who still don’t understand how to behave with terror supporters,” he said.
Senior Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officials were also reportedly furious over the video, saying that “he caused a strategic attack, this is an irresponsible act”.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said Ireland’s Ambassador to Israel has demanded “immediate assurances that the welfare and wellbeing of all Irish citizens is safeguarded and that they are afforded all the protections that they are entitled to under international law”.
She had “also demanded their immediate release”.
“I can assure their families and loved ones that our citizens will be afforded all appropriate consular assistance and support as soon as we secure access to them.”
Thirteen Irish citizens are understood to have been detained by the Israel Defense Forces, including Dr Margaret Connolly, a sister of President Catherine Connolly. The Global Sumud Flotilla said on Tuesday that all 50 boats in the flotilla had been intercepted in the eastern Mediterranean, with 428 participants from more than 40 countries detained.
Israel’s foreign ministry said all activists had been transferred to Israeli vessels, were en route to Israel and would be allowed to meet their consular representatives.
In a post on X, Israeli journalist Isay Blumenthal stated that Gvir shouted “we are the landlords” at the activists.
Several senior EU politicians also made official complaints to the Israeli authorities on Wednesday, including Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, whose government summoned the Israeli ambassador in Rome.
Earlier, a sister of a detained Irish activist said their family had watched a live-stream of the flotilla’s interception as it unfolded. Aisling Cullen, sister of secondary schoolteacher Mikey Cullen, said the family had been tracking his journey when they heard shots.
According to the Instagram page of the Irish delegation of the Global Sumud Flotilla, the other Irish people detained are Colm Byrne, Tara Sheehy, Fra Hughes, Luke McMenamin, Adam Fitzhenry Collier, Helena Kearns, Tom Deasy, Cormac O’Daly, Joshua St Leger, Louise McCormack and Catriona Graham.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio, Aisling Cullen said the reason her brother had joined the flotilla was because of the lack of response of “the whole world” to what was happening in Gaza.
While what was happening to her brother and other people on the flotilla was frightening, what was happening to children and the people of Gaza on a daily basis was of much more concern, she said.
“He couldn’t sit around with the injustice of it.”
Meanwhile, Independent TD Barry Heneghan who supports the Government has voted against the Coalition and for People Before Profit Solidarity legislation to sanction Israel.
The Dublin Bay North TD insisted he supports the Government but said under the Geneva Convention “we have a duty to do everything we can to oppose genocide”.
The Government won the vote on Wednesday night by 77 votes to 62. The Sanctions against the State of Israel Bill calls for Ireland to “break off all economic trade, financial relations with the state of Israel”.
It is the second time the Dublin Bay North TD has voted with the Opposition. Last May he and Independent Gillian O’Toole, who also supports the Government, voted with Sinn Féin on their legislation to curtail Israeli access to sell “war bonds” through the Irish financial system. O’Toole voted with the Government tonight on the sanctions legislation.
Ireland is Israel’s second biggest trading partner, importing €3.94 billion of goods in 2024 and exporting €1.725 billion in trade driven by multinationals.
The vote took place as protesters including the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign demonstrated outside Leinster House, in support of the legislation. Earlier there were contributions from Opposition TDs including People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett, Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger and Social Democrats Senator Patricia Stephenson.
Actor Liam Cunningham also addressed demonstrators while People Before Profit Dublin Central candidate Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin sang a song he had composed about Gaza.
