Gaza flotilla activists to be deported as governments voice outrage over taunting by Israeli minister
JERUSALEM, May 21 (Reuters) – Western governments voiced outrage on Thursday after Israel’s far-right security minister posted a video of himself taunting Gaza-bound flotilla activists being pinned to the ground, with two later alleging they were physically assaulted in detention.The activists’ treatment by police officers under the direction of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also drew a rebuke from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and from the United States, Israel’s staunchest ally.The activists, whose vessel was intercepted on Wednesday in international waters by Israeli naval forces as they were trying to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, were all deported from Israel on Thursday, the Israeli foreign ministry said.Across Europe, governments summoned Israeli ambassadors to condemn the video.Italy demanded an apology, Spain said it would not tolerate maltreatment of its citizens, and France demanded the release of all the detainees.Britain’s foreign ministry said the video “violates the most basic standards of respect and dignity for people,” while Poland’s foreign minister called for Ben-Gvir to be banned from entering the country.The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said Ben-Gvir had “betrayed (the) dignity of his nation.”The outpouring of anger follows the posting of campaign-style videos by Ben-Gvir and at least one other minister in Netanyahu’s government, transport chief Miri Regev, showing them visiting the port and lambasting the protesters, attention-grabbing antics ahead of a potential early election in Israel.Israeli rights group Adalah said the estimated 430 activists had been released from prison in southern Israel.Miriam Azem, Adalah’s communications director, said the group’s lawyers had documented repeated use of tasers, suspected broken ribs, as well as beatings, the use of prolonged stress positions, and sexual harassment and abuse.“One of the activists was forced to...