Italy Opens Investigation Into Ben Gvir Over Gaza Flotilla Incident

Rome’s chief prosecutor announced on Monday evening that an investigation has been opened against National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. The dramatic step comes in response to the minister’s involvement in last month’s Turkish “Sumud” flotilla to Gaza, when Ben Gvir filmed himself at Ashdod Port mocking flotilla activists as they were handcuffed and on their knees, saying, “Welcome to Israel, we are the owners of the house.” The minister also posted the footage on his X account and wrote, “This is how we receive supporters of terrorism.”

The investigation was opened after the Navy took control of the flotilla, which also included activists with Italian citizenship. As part of the inquiry, authorities in Rome are examining serious suspicions of kidnapping and torture offenses. Ben Gvir’s inclusion as a suspect marks a significant escalation in the international legal dispute surrounding the incident.

Ben Gvir responded to the opening of the investigation, saying, “The boot country has become the flip-flop country. Israel is not the punching bag of a bunch of lying terrorist supporters who invent accusations and lies against our fighters. I am not deterred by this or any other investigation and will continue to stand proudly with our fighters.”

The video posted by Ben Gvir sparked political and diplomatic outrage in Israel and abroad. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu distanced himself from the minister’s behavior, saying that “the way Minister Ben Gvir acted toward the flotilla activists is not consistent with the values and norms of the State of Israel.” Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar also criticized Ben Gvir at the time and accused him of causing deliberate harm to the country, while Ben Gvir replied that “the foreign minister is expected to understand that Israel has stopped being a punching bag.”

The incident drew harsh condemnation from senior diplomats, including U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, as well as from Britain, France, Belgium, Canada, and the Netherlands, which summoned Israeli ambassadors for reprimands. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani described the treatment of the activists as “unacceptable” and demanded official explanations and an apology. At the same time, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez even threatened to act in Brussels to expand Ben Gvir’s entry ban to all European Union countries.