Cong slams Modi govt for 'total silence' over Israeli minister mocking Gaza flotilla activists

One handcuffed activist shouts Free Palestine as Ben-Gvir walks by and is immediately pushed to the ground by security personnel.In another video, Ben-Gvir says the activists came here all full of pride like big heroes.

The Congress on Thursday criticised the government for allegedly maintaining silence on the manner in which Israel's national security minister dealt with activists of the Gaza-bound flotilla.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that governments across the world have condemned the minister, but the Modi government has maintained ''total silence''.

''Governments and organisations across the world have strongly condemned the manner in which Israel's national security minister has dealt with activists of the Gaza-bound peace flotilla drawn from different countries.

''But true to form, the Modi Government maintains total silence on such continuing outrages,'' Ramesh said in a post on X.

Israel's national security minister drew a sharp rebuke from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and triggered a backlash abroad Wednesday, after releasing videos taunting detained flotilla activists who tried to breach Israel's blockade of Gaza, telling them they should be imprisoned for a long time.

Netanyahu said that although Israel has every right to stop ''provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters,'' the way National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir dealt with the activists was ''not in line with Israel's values and norms''.

Ben-Gvir released videos Wednesday showing him walking among some of the approximately 430 detainees. In one, activists with their hands tied behind their backs are kneeling, their heads touching the floor inside what appears to be a makeshift detention area and on the deck of a ship.

''Welcome to Israel, we are the landlords,'' says Ben-Gvir, waving a large Israeli flag. One handcuffed activist shouts ''Free Palestine'' as Ben-Gvir walks by and is immediately pushed to the ground by security personnel.

In another video, Ben-Gvir says the activists ''came here all full of pride like big heroes. Look at them now,'' while appealing to Netanyahu to grant him permission to imprison them.

''I say to Prime Minister Netanyahu, give them to me for a long, long time, give them to us for the terrorist prisons,'' Ben-Gvir said.

Netanyahu said he's given instructions that the activists be deported ''as soon as possible''.

Ben-Gvir drew the ire of Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who publicly chastised his fellow minister on X, saying ''you knowingly caused harm to our State in this disgraceful display''.