FRANCE PERSPECTIVE

Paris, May 20, 2026. The video circulated on Telegram and X on Wednesday: dozens of pro-Palestinian activists kneeling side by side, faces pressed against the ground, hands tied behind their backs, on an Israeli naval ship. In the background, the Israeli national anthem. Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir appears on screen, saying: 'Welcome to Israel, we're home.' A militant who cries 'Free Palestine' as he passes is immediately pinned to the ground by security services.

The French reaction was immediate. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot summoned the Israeli ambassador, denouncing Ben Gvir's 'inadmissible actions' towards the Global Sumud Flotilla passengers, 'denounced by his own colleagues within the Israeli government.' France thus joins a wave of diplomatic protests involving Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Canada, Italy, and Greece – countries whose citizens were among the 430 detainees from over 40 nations.

French media devote a significant portion of their coverage to the open fracture within the Netanyahu government. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar publicly accused Ben Gvir of 'deliberately harming' Israel's image with 'this shameful spectacle.' 'No, you're not the face of Israel,' he insisted. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deemed Ben Gvir's conduct 'not in line with Israel's values and norms,' while maintaining the course on expelling the militants 'as soon as possible' and defending Israel's right to block 'Hamas terrorist supporter flotillas.'

Le Monde also notes the reaction of US Ambassador Mike Huckabee, who lambasted Ben Gvir's 'despicable acts' on X – a notable move for an administration generally reluctant to publicly criticize Tel Aviv. European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib, responsible for humanitarian crises, recalled that 'no one should be sanctioned for defending human rights.'

The flotilla, composed of some 50 ships departing from Turkey the previous week, was intercepted on Monday off the coast of Cyprus, about 268 kilometers from Gaza. The 430 members were transferred to Ashdod in southern Israel. Palestinian rights group Adalah denounced a 'criminal policy of abuse and humiliation.' Hamas, in a different register, described the images as a manifestation of 'sadism' by Israeli leaders.