Australia Condemns Israeli Minister Over Flotilla Activist Abuse

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong condemned a far-right Israeli minister’s actions after he posted a video of himself abusing bound activists from an aid flotilla attempting to sail to Gaza.

Wong joined international condemnation of the footage, which shows Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir waving an Israeli flag and mocking detainees, including shouting “The people of Israel live” in the face of one bound man.

Among the flotilla detainees are 11 Australian activists taken into custody by Israeli forces off the coast of Cyprus earlier this week, but it is not known if they appear in Ben-Gvir’s video.

In a statement, Wong said “the images we have seen are shocking and unacceptable”.

“We condemn the actions of Israeli minister Ben-Gvir – who Australia has sanctioned – and the degrading actions of Israeli authorities towards those detained,” Wong said on Thursday morning.

“I have asked Australia’s ambassador to Israel to make representations to Israel, reiterating our 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.”

In a social media post, Wong added: “I have also directed Dfat [the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade] to call in Israel’s ambassador to Australia [Hillel Newman] to reinforce this message.”

On Thursday morning, Simon Jones, head of the flotilla’s Australian delegation, called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to join the international condemnation.

Jones said the government could also send Newman home.

“Our reaction to watching healthy, bright, brave, peaceful humanitarians being harmed in real time pales beside our concern for what occurs off camera,” he said.

Rights group Adalah has reported “systemic violations of due process, and widespread physical and psychological abuse by Israeli authorities”.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee described Ben-Gvir’s behavior as “despicable” and said the minister had “betrayed the dignity of his nation” after the video was published on his social media account with the caption “Welcome to Israel”.

In the video, dozens of men and women are seen kneeling in rows with their foreheads to the ground and hands zip-tied behind their backs.

The detained Australians include academics, doctors, students, activists and filmmakers: Anny Mokotow, Dr. Bianca Pullman-Webb, Neve O’Connor, Violet Coco, Gemma O’Toole, Sam Woripa Watson, Zack Schofield, Helen O’Sullivan, Juliet Lamont, Isla Lamont and Surya McEwan.

On Tuesday, four of their parents and loved ones held a press conference in Melbourne where O’Toole’s mother, Suzie O’Toole, said she was “terrified” for the 23-year-old’s wellbeing.

The Australian government has been seeking to meet the detainees at the earliest opportunity.

Donald Rothwell, a professor of international law at the Australian National University, raised concerns about Israel’s actions. He said while a naval blockade is a legitimate act of naval warfare during an armed conflict, there was “no legal basis under international law” for Israel to enforce its blockade off the coast of Cyprus.

He said this was because no international armed conflict exists between Israel and Palestine, despite Israel’s position that the blockade is legitimate due to the threat from Hamas.

“The IDF conduct is an example of extraterritorial law enforcement of Israel’s blockade within the maritime zone of Cyprus or on the high seas which is a violation of the freedom of navigation which the vessels that make up the Global Sumud Flotilla enjoy,” Rothwell said.

“For Australia interference with the freedom of navigation has been a constant concern in the South China Sea, and more recently in the Strait of Hormuz. It should likewise be a cause for concern in the Mediterranean.”

Rothwell also noted that, under international law, an exception to a blockade exists for the provision of humanitarian aid to the civilian population of the blockaded state.

Australian flotilla spokesperson Subhi Awad pushed back at Israel’s claims that the flotilla was not intending to deliver aid to Gaza.

“The flotilla did obtain, load and carry aid. We recorded ourselves doing so,” he said.