U.S. Ambassador Criticizes Israeli Minister Over Flotilla Video

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee publicly criticized Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for a video in which Ben-Gvir appeared to taunt detained foreign activists on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. " Several other countries had summoned Israeli ambassadors over the same video, which showed activists kneeling with their hands bound.

Sanctions on Flotilla Organizers The U.S.

Treasury sanctioned four organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla one day before Huckabee's comments. Two organizers were from the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad and two were from the Palestinian prisoners' solidarity network Samidoun. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the activists were part of a "pro-terror flotilla" and that the effort supported Hamas.

The former U.S. administration had declined to sanction Ben-Gvir despite calls from members of Congress. The current administration lifted sanctions on some Israeli settlers and later imposed sanctions on Palestinian civil society groups and International Criminal Court prosecutors.

Officials have also placed travel restrictions on Palestinian Authority officials. Michael Omer-Man of the DAWN advocacy group said the sanctions show the U.S. accepting Israeli arguments about the blockade at face value. Annelle Sheline of the Quincy Institute said public rebukes remain limited compared with ongoing U.S. military aid to Israel.