Netanyahu rebukes Israeli minister for treatment of Gaza flotilla activists

World Netanyahu rebukes Israeli minister after video shows degrading treatment of Gaza flotilla activists May 20, 2026 / 12:41 PM EDT / CBS/AP Add CBS News on Google Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a rare rebuke to his national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, after videos emerged online showing Ben-Gvir's treatment of pro-Palestinian flotilla activists. The clip, posted by Ben-Gvir, shows him mocking activists as they're corralled in the custody of Israeli security personnel. The far-right government minister, who has been sanctioned by U.S. allies for inciting violence against Palestinians, is seen in one clip that he posted walking among some of the approximately 430 detained Sumud Global Flotilla activists with police and soldiers. The government minister can be seen waving a large Israeli flag and tells some of the activists, "Welcome to Israel, we are the landlords." One handcuffed activist seen in a video shouting "Free Palestine" as Ben-Gvir walks past is immediately pushed to the ground by security personnel.The video shows activists with their hands tied behind their back, kneeling with their heads touching the floor, in what appears to be a makeshift detention area at Israel's Ashdod port and on the deck of a ship.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 for a "long, long time." A boat bearing symbols of one of the vessels belonging to the Gaza-bound aid flotilla and intercepted by the Israeli navy, is motored toward the Israeli port of Ashdod, on May 19, 2026. Jack Guez /AFP via Getty Images Netanyahu defended intercepting the flotilla, but spoke out about Ben-Gvir's actions in the video on Wednesday. "Israel has every right to prevent provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters from entering our territorial waters and reaching Gaza," he said in a statement. "However, th...