Italian prosecutors have opened an investigation into far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over the Global Sumud Flotilla case, according to Italian news agency ANSA.
The investigation is linked to remarks Ben-Gvir made in May, when he mocked activists who were shown kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs at Ashdod port after being detained by Israeli authorities.
ANSA said prosecutors in Rome had already opened a case several weeks ago into Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, including allegations of torture and unlawful detention.
The probe covers the interception of the activists, including Italian citizens, and the conditions in which they were held after Israeli forces seized the vessel.
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Responding to the investigation, Ben-Gvir criticised the Italian authorities and said that Italy, commonly known as “the Boot” because of the shape of its peninsula, had become “the land of the flip-flop.”
He added: “Israel is not a punching bag for a group of lying terrorism supporters who invent slanders and lies against our fighters.”
“I will not shy away from one investigation or another and will continue to stand proudly alongside our fighters,” he said.
The investigation follows the Global Sumud Flotilla mission launched in April towards Gaza in an attempt to challenge the Israeli blockade on the territory. Departing from ports in Sicily, the convoy included dozens of activists, solidarity campaigners, politicians and MPs from Italy and other European countries.
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