Huckabee and Israeli leaders condemned Ben-Gvir’s flotilla footage, warning it damaged Israel’s diplomatic standing.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee issued an unusually sharp condemnation Wednesday night of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over his filmed encounter with detained participants from the pro-Hamas Gaza flotilla.
Huckabee said senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, President Isaac Herzog, and Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, had all condemned Ben-Gvir’s conduct. While describing the flotilla itself as a “stupid stunt,” Huckabee said Ben-Gvir had damaged the dignity of his own country.
Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, also criticized Ben-Gvir, calling the incident reckless grandstanding that undermined Israel’s diplomatic efforts at a sensitive moment. Leiter stressed that the flotilla provocateurs were detained lawfully and would be deported to their home countries.
Netanyahu said Israel has every right to stop Hamas-supporting flotillas from reaching Gaza, but added that Ben-Gvir’s handling of the activists did not reflect Israel’s values or norms. Sa’ar accused Ben-Gvir of knowingly harming the state and undoing the professional work of Israeli soldiers, diplomats, and officials.
At least five countries have reportedly moved to summon Israeli ambassadors over the footage. Ben-Gvir remained defiant, arguing that those who enter Israeli territory to support Hamas must face a firm response.
