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From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Netanyahu says Ben Gvir’s taunting of Gaza flotilla activists ‘not in line with Israel’s values’
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleNava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement, May 13, 2026. (Maayan Toaf/GPO)
In a rare instance of rebuke, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemns National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir over his posting a video showing him taunting detained activists from the Gaza flotilla, adding that he instructed the activists to be deported as soon as possible.
“Israel has every right to prevent provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters from entering our territorial waters and reaching Gaza. However, the way that Minister Ben Gvir dealt with the flotilla activists is not in line with Israel’s values and norms,” Netanyahu says.
“I have instructed the relevant authorities to deport the provocateurs as soon as possible,” the premier adds.
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