As many as 11 Australians are among the 430 protestors apprehended by Israel from intercepted boats.
A video, ominously titled ‘Welcome to Israel,’ captures a tense scene of officers roughly handling a woman who shouted “free, free Palestine,” forcing her to the ground. The footage also depicts numerous detainees, handcuffed and made to kneel with their foreheads pressed to the floor.
In one part of the video, Ben-Gvir, speaking in Hebrew, declares, “welcome to Israel, we are your landlords!” all the while brandishing an Israeli flag.
Another segment features Ben-Gvir mocking the activists, saying they arrived “full of pride like big heroes,” and now look at their predicament. He also appeals to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for permission to detain them further.
Wong has voiced sharp criticism of Ben-Gvir’s conduct, expressing alarm over the Australians’ treatment.
“The scenes we have witnessed are disturbing and unacceptable,” Wong stated.
“We condemn the actions of Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir – who Australia has sanctioned – and the degrading actions of Israeli authorities towards those detained.”
She said she had instructed Australia’s ambassador to Israel to ensure that Australian prisoners are not on the receiving end of mistreatment by Israeli forces.
“The way that Minister Ben Gvir dealt with the flotilla activists is not in line with Israel’s values and norms,” his office said in a statement shared on social media.
However, he also insisted Israel has the right to detain the protesters, saying he had “instructed the relevant authorities to deport the provocateurs as soon as possible.”
Reported with Associated Press
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