Arab, Muslim states condemn Ben-Gvir over flotilla detainees

JERUSALEM: The foreign ministers of the UAE, Jordan, Turkiye, Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have condemned what they described as the appalling treatment of participants in a Gaza-bound flotilla during their detention in Israel, after Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir published footage of the activists.

According to a joint statement, the ministers denounced Ben-Gvir’s actions as degrading and unacceptable. The statement came after a video shared on Wednesday showed dozens of foreign activists kneeling with their foreheads on the ground and their hands tied while in detention. The clip, captioned Welcome to Israel, also showed Ben-Gvir taunting the detainees while waving an Israeli flag.

The ministers said the public humiliation of the detainees amounted to an affront to human dignity and violated Israel’s obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law. They also condemned what they called illegal and extremist acts of incitement and violence by Ben-Gvir and other Israeli officials against Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

In the statement, the ministers warned that Ben-Gvir’s conduct was stoking hatred and extremism and undermining efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace based on the two-State solution. They called for accountability over his actions and urged concrete steps to stop what they described as his repeated provocations, incitement and violations.

The ministers also stressed the need to protect human rights, preserve the dignity and humane treatment of all detainees, and ensure full respect for international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.