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Poland said Thursday it would summon Israel’s charge d’affaires in Warsaw to demand an apology over the treatment of Gaza flotilla activists by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said he had ordered the Israeli envoy to be summoned immediately after Ben-Gvir posted a video showing himself taunting detained pro-Palestinian activists.
“I have instructed that Israel’s charge d’affaires in Warsaw be summoned immediately to convey our outrage and to demand an apology for the extremely inappropriate conduct of a member of the Israeli government,” Sikorski said on the U.S. social media platform X.
Sikorski condemned the treatment of the activists by Israeli authorities and called for the immediate release of Polish nationals.
He also called for them to be treated “in accordance with international standards.”
“The fact that the Foreign Ministry had advised Polish citizens against traveling to Israel and Palestine does not mean that we accept violations of their rights and dignity. The safety of our citizens remains our highest priority,” Sikorski said.
Sikorski’s statement came after Ben-Gvir posted a video on social media showing himself taunting pro-Palestinian activists who had been detained by Israeli forces in international waters.
The activists were zip-tied and forced to kneel, according to the report.
The video, which lasted about a minute, sparked outrage in Israel and internationally.
The Global Sumud humanitarian aid flotilla said Tuesday that all 50 vessels in its convoy had been seized by Israel.
The flotilla, carrying 428 people from 44 countries, departed last Thursday from Marmaris in Türkiye in a new attempt to break Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has been in place since 2007.
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