Among the flotilla detainees are 11 Australian activists who were taken into custody by Israeli forces<\/a> off the coast of Cyprus earlier this week, but it is not known if they were present in Ben-Gvir\u2019s video.<\/p>\n In a statement, Wong said \u201cthe images we have seen are shocking and unacceptable\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe condemn the actions of Israeli minister Ben-Gvir \u2013 who Australia has sanctioned <\/a>\u2013 and the degrading actions of Israeli authorities towards those detained,\u201d Wong said on Thursday morning.<\/p>\n \u201cI have asked Australia\u2019s ambassador to Israel to make representations to Israel, reiterating our call for the release of the detained Australians and for Israel to ensure no ill treatment of any detainees and to act in line with international obligations.\u201d<\/p>\n In a post on social media, Wong added: \u201cI have also directed Dfat [the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade] to call in Israel\u2019s ambassador to Australia [Hillel Newman] to reinforce this message.\u201d<\/p>\n On Thursday morning the head of the flotilla\u2019s Australian delegation, Simon Jones, called on the prime minister Anthony Albanese to join that international condemnation.<\/p>\n Jones said the government could also send Newman home.<\/p>\n \u201cOur reaction to watching healthy, bright, brave, peaceful humanitarians being harmed in real time pales beside our concern for what occurs off camera,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Rights group Adalah has reported <\/a>\u201csystemic violations of due process, and widespread physical and psychological abuse by Israeli authorities\u201d.<\/p>\n The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, described Ben-Gvir\u2019s behaviour as \u201cdespicable\u201d and said the minister had \u201cbetrayed the dignity of his nation\u201d after the video was published on his social media account with the caption: \u201cWelcome to Israel\u201d.<\/p>\n In the video, dozens of men and women are seen kneeling in rows, with their foreheads to the ground and their hands zip-tied behind their back.<\/p>\n The detained Australians are academics, doctors, students, activists and film-makers, including Anny Mokotow, Dr Bianca Pullman-Webb, Neve O\u2019Connor, Violet Coco, Gemma O\u2019Toole, Sam Woripa Watson, Zack Schofield, Helen O\u2019Sullivan, Juliet Lamont, Isla Lamont and Surya McEwan.<\/p>\n![\"Israeli](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1202.jpg\")
Israeli minister Ben-Gvir posts video taunting detained Gaza flotilla activists \u2013 video<\/p>\n