US condemns Israel's Ben-Gvir while sanctioning Gaza flotilla organisers
The US State Department called the behaviour of Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir toward detained flotilla activists 'unacceptable'. On the same day, the Department of Homeland Security imposed OFAC sanctions on two organisations that helped organise the Gaza-bound flotilla. The combined move is producing mixed signals on the US-Israel diplomatic line.
US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told Wednesday's briefing that Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's words and conduct toward detained flotilla activists were 'unacceptable' and that they had been raised through formal US-Israel diplomatic channels. Bruce said the minister had acted 'beyond professional boundaries' and that the 'degrading language' had been condemned.
In the same briefing, the Department of Homeland Security and the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced that they had frozen the US assets of two civil society organisations that had helped organise the Gaza-bound flotilla. According to the announcement, the sanctions are linked to 'violations of maritime law'. The flotilla included 22 civilian activists from 12 countries; some remain in detention.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Ben-Gvir's remarks 'reflect the minister's personal view'. The European Union and Canada said they would assess whether the OFAC action is a complementary step. Diplomatic sources note that the US delivered two distinct signals simultaneously.
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