(Adnkronos) – Italy on Wednesday “immediately” summoned Israel’s ambassador after Israel’s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a video on social media in which he is seen mocking blindfolded detained activists from the Global Sumud Gaza aid flotilla, who have been forced to kneel on the floor and bend down with their hands ties behind their backs.
“What emerges from Minister Ben-Gvir’s video is absolutely unacceptable and contrary to every basic safeguard of human dignity,” foreign minister Antonio Tajani wrote on X.
“In agreement with the prime minister, I have had the Israeli ambassador to Italy summoned immediately to the foreign ministry,” Tajani continued.
Tajani and premier Giorgia Meloni issued a joint statement slamming Ben-Gvir’s video. ” It is unacceptable that these protesters, including many Italian citizens, should be subjected to treatment that violates human dignity,” said the statement.
Ben-Gvir’s video shows the minister walking around a tent where the activists are being held, wearing the traditional kippah and a black shirt, waving the flag of the Jewish state and saying: “Welcome to Israel, we are the masters of the house” and “The people of Israel live.”
Italy’s government “is immediately taking all necessary steps at the highest institutional levels to secure the immediate release of the Italian citizens involved,” Tajani and Meloni stated.
“Italy also demands an apology for the treatment of these protesters and for the total disregard shown toward the Italian government’s explicit requests,” the statement continued.
As Israeli forces detained the 29 Italians overnight in international waters off Cyprus along with hundreds of Flotilla activists who were due to be taken to the port of Ashdod, Tajani told Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Saar that the Italian citizens, including an MP and a journalist must be released and allowed to return home swiftly.
“The safety and rights of every single activist be safeguarded,” Tajani said to Saar, said a foreign ministry statement.
