A harsh diplomatic clash has opened between Italy and Israel after the release of some videos recorded in the port of Ashdod, where activists of the Global Sumud Flotilla intercepted by the Israeli navy in international waters are being held. In the video, shared on social media by the Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir with the caption “This is how we welcome supporters of terrorism, welcome to Israel”, hundreds of activists – including thirty Italian citizens – can be seen blindfolded, with their hands tied by cable ties, forced to kneel with their faces to the ground and dragged on the floor by masked agents, while the speakers broadcast the Israeli anthem.
Meloni-Tajani: “Unacceptable images, treatments detrimental to dignity”
In a joint note, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani expressed the utmost firmness: “The images of Israeli Minister Ben Gvir are unacceptable. It is unacceptable that these demonstrators, including many Italian citizens, are subjected to this treatment which undermines the dignity of the person”.
The executive has made it known that it has already taken action through diplomatic channels. “The Italian government – add Meloni and Tajani – is immediately taking, at the highest institutional levels, all the necessary steps to obtain the immediate release of the Italian citizens involved. Italy also demands an apology for the treatment reserved for these demonstrators and for the total contempt shown towards the explicit requests of the Italian Government”.
Confirmation of the formal summons of Tel Aviv’s diplomatic representative to Rome also arrived shortly. “For these reasons – Meloni and Tajani announce – the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation will immediately summon the Israeli ambassador to ask for formal clarifications on what happened”. The head of the Farnesina then reiterated the Italian position also through a message on the
The latter was urged by the Secretary General of the Farnesina, Riccardo Guariglia, “for the immediate release and rapid return to Italy of all compatriots still detained”.
For Tajani “the red line has been crossed”. “Now we will see what initiatives to take to respond, let’s conclude the matter and then we will see with the government what decisions to adopt”, he added.
Crosetto: “We Israelis don’t arrest them at sea”
“We boast of something else, minister. We boast of having always treated your compatriots with respect and we are not in the habit of arresting people in international waters but rather of helping them if they need it”, the Defense Minister, Guido Crosetto, writes on X, addressing Ben-Gvir. “I don’t think that any good for Israel is done with attitudes of this type.”
The images of Ashdod and the hunger strike
In another passage of the film, the Tel Aviv government representative declares: “They arrived with great pride, great heroes, and look at how they are now: no heroes or anything, they are supporters of terrorism. I ask Netanyahu to hand them over to me for a long time, we will put them in terrorist prisons.”
The Israeli military operation led to the arrest of 430 activists in total. Among them, 87 aboard the Global Sumud vessel began a hunger strike to protest what they called a “kidnapping in international waters”, urging Western governments to condemn the action as an “act of piracy”. International criticism also came from South Korea, whose president Lee Jae Myung defined the seizure of the humanitarian ships as “inhumane and extreme”, recalling the presence of the ICC arrest warrant for Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Tajani: “Tomorrow all the compatriots will leave. Carotenuto and Mantovani are the first to return”
Minister Tajani confirmed that Italian embassy officials are in constant contact with the Ashdod port authorities to ensure consular assistance. In recent hours, the head of the Farnesina spoke directly with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar to ask that the rights and safety of Italian citizens be fully protected and that the transfer take place as quickly as possible. “This evening the first two Italians will return, the parliamentarian Carotenuto and the journalist Mantovani”, announced Tajani on the sidelines of the bilateral meeting at Villa Doria Pamphilj between Meloni and the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In the evening, Tajani stated that tomorrow, Thursday 21 May, “all the Italian Fotilla activists should leave”. Among the compatriots, ten had already been identified and detained in previous flotilla missions directed to Gaza between October 2025 and last April. The legal team of the Adalah organization, together with Italian lawyers, has already filed a formal complaint with the Rome Prosecutor’s Office to contest the legitimacy of the detention.
Mattarella: “Uncivilized treatment, base behavior from the Israeli minister”
The President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella spoke about the images in a note from the Quirinale, speaking of “uncivilized treatment inflicted on people illegally stopped in international waters, which reaches a low level by a minister of the government of Israel”.
Meanwhile, the case has heated up the debate in the Chamber, where the opposition has called for urgent information and the adoption of severe measures. The 5 Star Movement, through group leader Riccardo Ricciardi, called for the interruption of trade agreements and sanctions against Israel. Request also supported by Angelo Bonelli (Avs), who urged the Prime Minister to take a position against the Netanyahu executive, and by the Democratic Party with Arturo Scotto, who called for the suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement. Finally, requests for immediate clarification from the government also came from Riccardo Magi (+Europa).
Internal clash within the Israeli government after the video
The publication of the video also opened a conflict within the Israeli government: “You are not the face of Israel”, wrote Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar in a post on X, retweeting the clip and referring to Ben-Gvir. “With this shameful performance, you have knowingly caused harm to the country, and it is not the first time. You have undermined the enormous, professional and successful efforts made by many people, from IDF soldiers to Foreign Ministry employees and many others,” Sa’ar added.
“There are still people in the government who have not understood how to deal with supporters of terrorism,” replied the ultra-right minister. “The Israeli Foreign Minister is expected to understand that Israel has stopped being a child that gets slapped. Anyone who comes to our territory to support terrorism and identify with Hamas will get a slap and we will not turn the other cheek.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intervened on the matter by stating that “Israel has every right to prevent provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters from entering our territorial waters and reaching Gaza. However, the way in which Minister Ben Gvir treated the flotilla activists is not in line with Israel’s values and norms.” That said, he added on X, “I have instructed the relevant authorities to expel the provocateurs as soon as possible.”