FAR-RIGHT Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has been banned from two countries after he shared a horrific video showing Gaza flotilla activists being brutally assaulted by his police force.
Jean-Noel Barrot, the French foreign minister, announced the ban on Israel's national security minister in a post on Twitter/X on Saturday, citing Ben-Gvir's "unspeakable" behaviour targeting the activists.
He said: “As of today, Itamar Ben-Gvir is banned from entering French territory. This decision follows his unspeakable actions toward French and European citizens who were passengers on the Global Sumud Flotilla.”
“We cannot tolerate that French nationals can be threatened, intimidated or brutalised in this way – all the more so by a public official.”
Barrot called on the European Union to also sanction Ben-Gvir.
Meanwhile, Poland has also barred Ben-Gvir, announcing a five-year-ban on Thursday.
“In the democratic world we do not abuse and gloat over people in custody,” Polish foreign minister Radek Sikorski said.
This week, Ben-Gvir sparked international outrage after promoting a video of himself taunting detained flotilla activists.
In one clip, he is seen waving a large Israeli flag over hunched-over detainees whose hands appear to be bound.
In another, he taunts a kneeling detainee whose wrists are zip-tied, yelling “Am Yisrael Chai” at him – Hebrew for “The nation of Israel lives”.
In a third, detainees can be seen – foreheads to the floor of an outdoor pen – as the Israeli national anthem plays and armed guards encircle them.
Foreign leaders – and even coalition partner Netanyahu – condemned Ben-Gvir’s on-camera treatment of some 430 flotilla detainees, with the UK summoning the Israeli charge d'affaires in response.
The flotilla of around 50 boats was intercepted on Monday in international waters some 250 miles off the coast of Gaza, where Israel has no jurisdiction.
More than 400 activists, including two from Scotland, were kidnapped by Israel and taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod, before eventually being deported to Turkey.
Hughie Stirling, a 68-year-old activist from Ullapool, is set to arrive at Inverness Airport on Saturday night, with other UK activists landing at Stansted Airport earlier in the day.
Meanwhile, Dr Antonis Vradis, a staff member at St Andrews University, was sailing as part of the Greek delegation and landed in Athens on Friday.
Detained activists have since accused Israeli forces of mistreatment, describing beatings, tasers and attack dogs.
