The reaction to the flotilla affair exposed the fiction at the heart of Israeli politics: that the racism and extremism now driving government policy exist only on the margins
Following National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s shameful harassment of activists on the international flotilla that sought to break through the blockade of Gaza, the expected chain reaction ensued. That harassment included public humiliation and taunting of activists. It turned Israel’s pirate-like, violent takeover of the flotilla’s ships, already a violation of international law, into a horrific political circus. As a result, European countries summoned Israeli ambassadors and issued condemnations, while global media again portrayed Israel as an aggressive, violent and unrestrained country that was running wild.