World News
Penny Wong condemns Israeli minister over ‘shocking and unacceptable’ treatment of flotilla activists
Australia’s foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has condemned the actions of a far-right Israeli minister who posted a video of himself abusing bound activists captured while trying to sail an aid flotilla to Gaza.
The footage shows Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, waving an Israeli flag and mocking and taunting the detainees, including shouting: “The people of Israel live” in the face of one bound man.
In a statement during Thursday morning, Wong said “the images we have seen are shocking and unacceptable”. She has also asked Australia’s ambassador to Israel to make representations to Israel, reiterating a call for the release of the detained Australians and for Israel to ensure no ill treatment of any detainees and to act in line with international obligations.
Among the flotilla detainees are 11 Australian activists who were taken into custody by Israeli forces off the coast of Cyprus earlier this week, but it is not known if they were present in Ben-Gvir’s video.