Ben-Gvir video prompts ambassador summons by Italy, France, the Netherlands and Canada

Four Western governments moved to formally protest after a social-media video depicting bound detainees in Israel circulated widely, sharpening diplomatic strains already inflamed by the wider Gaza war. Italy, France, the Netherlands and Canada summoned Israel’s ambassadors on May 20, 2026, in response to the footage posted by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Al Jazeera reported. ^[1]

The video showed detained foreign activists kneeling with their hands bound as they were shoved and taunted, according to Al Jazeera’s description of the clip. In the same post, Ben-Gvir was shown waving an Israeli flag and shouting as the detainees remained on their knees, turning what would normally be a law-enforcement moment into a public spectacle that quickly reverberated beyond Israel’s borders. ^[1]

The backlash quickly reached Israel’s closest ally as well. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee publicly condemned the far-right minister on May 20, and he pointed to criticism that day from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, aligning himself with Israel’s senior leadership against Ben-Gvir’s display, according to Al Jazeera. ^[2]

The diplomatic flare-up lands amid a grinding conflict whose political shocks have repeatedly crossed borders. The move comes after Israel ordered Gazans to leave the northern half of the territory on October 13, 2023, and after Israel said on January 2, 2024 it would defend itself against genocide accusations filed by South Africa at an international court—milestones in a war that has hardened international scrutiny of Israeli policy. ^[1]

With multiple capitals now demanding explanations and Washington adding its own rebuke, Ben-Gvir’s video has become another front in the contest over how Israel prosecutes security operations—and how those operations are seen by allies whose support Israel has relied on during the conflict. ^[2]