Israel 'Civil War', Ben-Gvir Condemned Worldwide

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - A wave of international condemnation of Israel continued to spread after Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir mocked activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla humanitarian aid flotilla who were detained with their hands bound. This also sparked divisions within the country itself.

The condemnations peaked on Wednesday (21 May 2026), shortly after Ben-Gvir uploaded a video on social media showing the activists kneeling on the floor with their hands bound while being mocked.

In a post on the Israeli Prime Minister’s X account, Benjamin Netanyahu said that his government had the full right to prevent the ‘provocative flotilla supporting Hamas terrorists’ from entering Israeli waters and reaching Gaza.

However, he stressed that he did not agree with Ben-Gvir’s actions.

‘The way Minister Ben-Gvir is handling these flotilla activists does not conform to Israel’s values and norms,’ he said.

He also stated that he had instructed authorities to deport the detainees as soon as possible.

Even harsher condemnation came from fellow ministers. Israel’s Foreign Minister stressed that Ben-Gvir’s actions were harming Israel itself.

‘You have deliberately harmed our country in this shameful display - and not for the first time. You have undermined the extraordinary, professional, and successful efforts of so many people - from the IDF soldiers to the staff of the Foreign Ministry and many others,’ he wrote.

In addition, former Israeli Prime Minister and Netanyahu’s main political rival, Naftali Bennett, also commented.

According to him, everyone has been talking about the chaos caused by a failed minister who betrayed Israel’s security to gain likes on TikTok.

‘And they are right. The Netanyahu-Ben Gvir-Deri coalition has weakened Israel’s international reputation to the lowest point ever, endangering IDF soldiers abroad and arming our anti-Semitic enemies around the world,’ he said.

Global Anger

Several European countries, including Italy, France, the Netherlands, and Canada, summoned the Israeli ambassador to convey their anger at the treatment of the activists.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the footage was unacceptable.

‘Images of Israel’s Minister Ben Gvir are unacceptable. It is unacceptable that these protesters, including many Italian citizens, are treated in a manner that violates their human dignity,’ Meloni said in a statement on X.

France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot also condemned Ben-Gvir’s actions and urged the release of French nationals detained.

‘Unacceptable,’ Barrot said, while calling for the immediate release of his compatriots.

Canada also took a hard diplomatic step. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand described the incident as ‘very troubling’ and said Ottawa would summon the Israeli ambassador.

‘This is a matter we are handling very, very seriously. It is a matter of humane treatment of civilians, and I can assure you that we are acting with full urgency,’ she told reporters.

The Netherlands also announced the summons of the Israeli ambassador. Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said the treatment of the detainees violated the most fundamental human dignity.

‘The treatment of the detainees violates basic human dignity,’ he said.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said that his citizens were among the activists detained by the Israeli navy. He questioned the legal basis for Israel’s actions.

‘What is the legal basis? Is that Israeli territorial waters?’ Lee said.

‘Is that Israeli territory? If a conflict arises, could they seize and detain ships belonging to a third country?’ he continued.

Portugal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also harshly condemned what was described as ‘unacceptable behaviour’ by Ben-Gvir.

Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares called the treatment of the activists ‘horrific’, while Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee said she was ‘shocked’ by the footage and urged the immediate release of all activists.

Even the United States Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, criticized Ben-Gvir. He said the minister had ‘betrayed the dignity of his people’ for releasing a video showing human rights activists bound, humiliated, and allegedly subjected to violence.

However, Huckabee did not specify whether he condemned the violence or merely the decision to publish the video.

Beyond those countries, condemnation also came from Sweden, Switzerland, Greece, Germany, Poland, Qatar, Slovenia, Turkey, Austria, Belgium, Colombia, and the United Kingdom.

Amid mounting international pressure, Global Sumud Flotilla announced that at least 87 of those detained by Israel had begun a hunger strike.

In a post on X on Wednesday, the group said the action was carried out ‘as a protest against their illegal kidnapping and in solidarity with more than 9,500 Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons.’

The Global Sumud flotilla had previously departed Marmaris, a port city in Turkey, last week using more than 50 vessels with the aim of breaking the Israeli blockade of Gaza and delivering humanitarian aid.

But on Monday, Israeli forces began to take control of the ships in international waters near Cyprus. Organisers accused Israeli authorities of raiding the ships, firing rubber bullets, and abducting participants.

On Tuesday night, the organisers said six people