"The way Minister Ben-Gvir handled the convoy activists is not in line with Israel's values and norms," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.
This after right-wing extremist Ben-Gvir published a video in which he is seen waving an Israeli flag in front of kneeling activists with their hands tied behind their backs.
His government colleague, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, is harsher in his condemnation.
"You have deliberately caused harm to our state through this shameful display - and it is not the first time," Sa'ar writes in a response to the post on X where the video was published.
Diplomats called in
The people in the video are among 430 activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla, a Gaza convoy that was taken to Israel after its boats were intercepted west of Cyprus on Monday. They set sail last week with about 50 boats from Turkey, in the organization's latest attempt to break Israel's blockade of Gaza.
Several European countries - including France, Belgium, Italy and Spain - have summoned Israeli diplomatic envoys in those countries to lodge a protest.
“It is unacceptable that these protesters, including many Italian citizens, are subjected to this treatment,” Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement.
President's sister among the activists
The treatment also receives sharp criticism from countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Turkey, and the United States.
Washington's ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, calls Ben-Gvir's behavior "disgusting."
"The convoy was a stupid stunt. But Ben-Gvir betrayed his nation's dignity," he writes on X.
Sweden's Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (M) describes in turn the Security Minister's actions as "indefensible".
On board were several Irish citizens, including Margaret Connolly, sister of Irish President Catherine Connolly.
Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee says she is “dismayed and shocked” by the video and demands the immediate release of the “illegally arrested” activists.
Netanyahu states that he has “instructed responsible authorities to deport the provocateurs (activists) as soon as possible.”
