Islamic foreign ministers condemn Ben-Gvir’s appalling actions against Gaza-bound flotilla activists

RIYADH — Foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and seven other Muslim countries strongly condemned the appalling, degrading, and unacceptable actions of extremist Israeli Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir against activists in the Gaza-bound flotilla while they were in Israeli detention.The foreign ministers include those of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, and Türkiye. The ministers stressed that Ben-Gvir’s deliberate public humiliation of detainees is a disgraceful assault on human dignity and a clear violation of Israel’s obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, and international human rights law. The ministers further deplored and condemned in the strongest terms the illegal and extremist acts of incitement and violence by Ben-Gvir and other Israeli officials directed against Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The ministers warned that Ben-Gvir’s provocative actions fuel hatred and extremism, and obstruct efforts to advance a just and lasting peace on the basis of the two-state solution. The foreign ministers demanded accountability for Ben-Gvir’s actions and called for concrete measures to end his repeated provocations, incitement, and violations, as well as to prevent him from further threatening, and to ensure that such actions are neither tolerated nor repeated. They further stressed the imperative of protecting human rights and safeguarding the dignity and humane treatment of all detainees, and ensuring full respect for international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Ben-Gvir sparked global outrage earlier this week after circulating a video of himself taunting the Gaza-bound flotilla activists, who were detained by Israeli police force.