In 2010, Israeli naval commandos boarded a ship called the Mavi Marmara in the Mediterranean which was trying to break Israel’s maritime blockade on Gaza. They were attacked with clubs and bars by activists, most of them from Turkey, and opened fire killing 10 people.
The operation was a disaster from Israel’s point of view. Since then the Gaza flotillas have become an annual event and every year Israel devotes huge resources to ensure there will be no Mavi Marmara 2.
This week, Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu even cancelled his testimony at his ongoing corruption trial so he could spend the day in the Israel Defence Forces operation room, overseeing this year’s naval interception, as commandos boarded some 50 vessels heading for Gaza.
He praised the troops for a job well done. “You are doing this with great success, and I must say also, quietly, and certainly with less publicity than our enemies expected,” he said.
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It seemed like the end of the matter but then along came far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir who, on Wednesday, posted a video of a visit he made to Ashdod port, where the international activists were taken. He moved across the deck where activists were held, kneeling on the ground with their hands tied behind their backs, waving a large Israeli flag, and telling them in Hebrew: “Welcome to Israel. We are the masters here. This is how we receive the supporters of terrorism.”
It was another public relations disaster for Israel. The damage was immediate. The condemnations from European capitals and other western states, including many considered friendly to Israel, were harsh and Israeli ambassadors were summoned for a diplomatic dressing down.
A unilateral travel ban on Ben-Gvir across EU states is now a distinct possibility, along with increased pressure for wider economic sanctions against Israel.
In an attempt to limit the diplomatic backlash, Netanyahu issued a somewhat timid criticism. “Israel has every right to prevent provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters from entering our territorial waters and reaching Gaza,” he said. “However, the way that minister Ben-Gvir dealt with the flotilla activists is not in line with Israel’s values and norms.”
Foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar said Ben-Gvir “is not the face of Israel” saying he “knowingly damaged the country with this horrendous charade, and not for the first time”.
None of this fazes Ben-Gvir. He has his eye on the election that will be held in September or October. The polls show that his Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Strength) party would win about nine seats in the 120-seat Knesset parliament.
While mainstream Israelis may cringe at his extremist antics, among his racist, extremist base such stunts are likely to be a vote-winner, cementing his image as a politician who speaks his mind and isn’t afraid of the establishment.
The left-wing Haaretz daily argued in its editorial on Thursday that the episode should encourage debate over a rethink regarding Israel’s policy of intercepting the annual Gaza flotilla on the high seas.
“Abroad, the flotilla is seen as a legitimate and courageous protest against the humanitarian crisis that Israel has inflicted on Gaza. If Israel has nothing to hide and no reason to be ashamed, why not let the activists continue on their way and into Gaza? What harm could it have done?” the paper wrote.
“On the contrary, instead of being disgraced as a country whose ministers seek ‘likes’ at the expense of bound and humiliated detainees, it would be viewed as one that distinguishes between the population in Gaza and the terrorist organisations.”
