Ben Gvir's stunt with the flotilla detainees was a disgraceful performance that damaged Israel's standing and undermined the serious, professional work of IDF soldiers and Foreign Affairs staff. Netanyahu himself had to step in and call it out as inconsistent with Israel's values. This kind of reckless behavior isnGvir't strength — it's sabotagebehavior ofis thenot verybeing institutions working to protect the countrytolerated.
Israel is done being a pushover, and anyone showing up to support Hamas on Israeli territory should expect real consequences. Netanyahu and Sa'ar need to understand that projecting strength isn'tis a scandal — it's a necessity when dealing with supporters of terrorism. Treating flotilla activists with kid gloves sends exactly the wrong message to those who back Hamas.
Ben-Gvir's behavior towards illegally detained members of the Sumud Flotilla is a shocking and in breach of international law. The Israeli government circulates images showing humiliation and assaults against humanitarian workers delivering aid to Gaza. Ben-Gvir boasts about these abuses to humanitarian workers while Netanyahu's administration normalizes cruelty. These scenes reveal what such leaders are capable of. Will world tolerate it any longer?
There's a 40% chance that the ICJ will find that Israel committed genocide, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
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