Palestinian rights continue to remain inconsequential

Howls of fury emanated from the gilded halls of power in European capitals last week. A video had circulated of Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir taunting activists who, with hands tied, were being beaten and dragged along the floor. “Don’t be bothered by their screams,” he chimed. The soldiers seemingly were not.

These activists from multiple countries had the temerity to join the Global Sumud Flotilla with the aim of getting to Gaza. They were abused and detained in subhuman fashion, hence the outrage.

In total, 430 people were detained — or rather taken hostage — from 50 different boats near Cyprus and taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod. Reports indicate that Israeli forces even fired shots at the vessels. The illegal seizure of these citizens did not, as it should have done, precipitate outrage among European leaders. It is as if it is now legitimate to seize vessels in international waters and effectively kidnap those on board. Israel has done this too many times without the appropriate reaction.

What shifted the dial was the abuse of those captured and the glee of Ben-Gvir in celebrating this. At least 15 of the activists have claimed they were sexually assaulted.

Among those abducted and detained was Dr. Margaret Connolly, the sister of Irish President Catherine Connolly. She said the detainees were “all bent down like hogs and kept in this position for hours.”

The illegal seizure of these citizens did not, as it should have done, precipitate outrage among European leaders

Chris Doyle

Israeli ambassadors were summoned in numerous countries, including the UK, France and Italy. The standout condemnation came from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy, who demanded an apology, not least because an Italian lawmaker was among those detained. Italy is considering imposing sanctions on Ben-Gvir, which Britain did last year. France has announced that he is banned from entering the country. If the world operated by Israeli rules, any European state could just seize Ben-Gvir if he happened to be in international waters.

Even Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu felt obliged to issue a criticism of Ben-Gvir’s conduct. It was barely genuine. The crime for Netanyahu was the minister being caught on video — not the abuse itself.

In the UK, a senior Conservative MP asked the pertinent question: “If this is what they do to British and European citizens on camera … what are they doing to Palestinians off camera?” The answer is that testimony abounds of the sort of disgraceful abuse, torture and even rape perpetrated on Palestinians.

The pro-Israeli mob, desperate to burnish the country’s credentials at a time of crashing global popularity ratings, try to pretend Ben-Gvir is an abnormality. A pro-Netanyahu UK lobby group, the Labour Friends of Israel, claimed he represents “an extreme fringe.” But Ben-Gvir is anything but fringe. He is the national security minister, inside the Israeli government.

A genocide continues in Gaza and many states cannot even stipulate that Israel has violated international law

Chris Doyle

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is of a similar ilk. Miri Regev, the Likud transport minister, who is from the same party as Netanyahu, was equally happy to post a video of herself in front of the abductees being abused. Netanyahu has used Ben-Gvir as the useful idiot extremist who sucks up all the international opprobrium, which should in fact be directed at the government as a whole.

The other lie is that these activists were a threat to Israel. Their aim, of course, was not even to go to Israel. They were aiming for Gaza, taking aid and, just as importantly, solidarity to millions of people who are suffering from genocide, mass displacement and a policy of starvation. They are brave and principled.

But what is stunningly clear from this saga is that, on the global stage, Palestinian human rights are barely consequential. Palestinians in their thousands face all the abuse that these activists face and far more. Substantive and evidenced reports of rape have been published for some time, even before this month’s highly controversial report in The New York Times.

None of that horror triggered more than a murmur of disapproval in London, Paris or Brussels. A genocide continues in Gaza and many states such as the UK cannot even stipulate that Israel has violated international law. The hypocrisy goes further in that these states did not even protest the original abductions or previous ones in international waters. It was only the video that compelled a more robust response to Israel’s behavior.

It all emanates from the same historic and flawed political mindset in Europe of viewing Israel as a state that adheres to basic fundamental norms of behavior. The reality is that it is an ever more dangerous and subversive rogue actor. When it comes to Palestinians and their supporters, Israel treats them as animals or worse.

As for civil society, these flotillas have challenged the Israeli blockade of Gaza for years. They will only get larger and bolder. As ever, this Israeli leadership has no other gear to use but force. Just as it has not intimidated its neighbors, neither will it stop a global activist movement that just grows and grows.

• Chris Doyle is director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding in London. X: @Doylech