Washington, DC – US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee became the first official in the Trump administration to publicly denounce Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. However, his response was widely deemed unconvincing, coming just one day after the US Treasury imposed sanctions on Gaza aid organizations.
The controversy erupted after Ben-Gvir posted a video ridiculing foreign activists abducted from a Gaza aid flotilla. The footage shows volunteers with hands bound, kneeling, and at times being pushed to the ground, as Ben-Gvir brandishes an Israeli flag, shouting and pointing. Italy, France, the Netherlands, and Canada summoned Israeli ambassadors in protest.
In a post on X, Huckabee acknowledged broad criticism from Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. He wrote: “The aid flotilla was a stupid stunt, but Ben-Gvir betrayed the dignity of his nation.”
Analysts argue the criticism primarily targets the public release of the video rather than the nature of the prisoner abuse. Michael Omer-Man, director of DAWN in Israel-Palestine, noted: “We see a huge gap between the US and other Western countries, which view freedom of navigation on international waters as a fundamental principle of international law.”
The contradiction sharpened when the Trump administration sanctioned four entities linked to the Global Sumud Flotilla, accusing them of “supporting terrorism” and “backing Hamas.” The organizations rejected the allegations, calling the sanctions “complicity in genocide.”
Annelle Sheline, a fellow at the Quincy Institute, argued that Ben-Gvir’s actions are not an exception but a consequence of US policy that fosters impunity and emboldens Israel’s far-right. “Israel knows that as long as it has unconditional US support, it will face no real consequences,” Sheline said.
The Biden administration had previously declined to sanction Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in 2024 despite congressional pressure. After taking office, the Trump administration lifted sanctions on violent Israeli settlers while imposing penalties on Palestinian civil society groups and International Criminal Court (ICC) officials.
Omer-Man concluded: “It’s safe to say the US will never formally criticize Israel under the Trump administration.” Rare acts of disapproval, such as Huckabee calling settler violence “terrorism” last July, are seen as hollow compared to the billions in military aid Washington continues to provide Israel.
