CHINA PERSPECTIVE

Beijing, May 21, 2026. The posting by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir of a video showing hundreds of Palestinian activists detained in an Israeli port has triggered a diplomatic shockwave that the South China Morning Post has covered in detail, highlighting the international dimension of the incident.

The images, posted by Ben-Gvir himself on social media, show around 430 activists from a humanitarian flotilla intercepted by Israeli forces as they tried to breach the Gaza blockade. In these sequences filmed at the Ashdod quay, activists appear kneeling, hands tied behind their backs, face down on the ground of an improvised detention area within the port and on Israeli naval vessels. In a second recording, the minister addresses the detainees directly: "You came here with pride as great heroes. Look at them now." He appeals to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to obtain authorization to imprison them for a "long, long period".

The incident did not stop at verbal sparring. During his stroll among the detainees, surrounded by police and soldiers, Ben-Gvir brandished a large Israeli flag and told the activists: "Welcome to Israel, we are the owners of the place." A handcuffed activist who chanted "Free Palestine" in his presence was immediately pinned to the ground by security personnel.

The international reaction was swift. France and Spain summoned their Israeli ambassadors and chargé d'affaires, respectively, to officially protest. Italy and Greece demanded the immediate release of their nationals among the detainees. Several other European countries expressed their condemnation of what they called an "unacceptable" treatment.

A notable fact highlighted by the Hong Kong daily is that the controversy goes beyond usual diplomatic boundaries and reaches the heart of the Israeli government. Prime Minister Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar distanced themselves from their colleague's actions, signaling a fracture within the ruling coalition on managing Israel's international image.

For Chinese-language press, the affair is part of a broader context: the multiplication of diplomatic pressures on Tel Aviv since the start of the Gaza offensive, coupled with the inability of international mechanisms to impose a ceasefire.