Ben-Gvir Video Wrecks Israel's Multi-Million-Dollar 'Hasbara' Campaign

A video posted by Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, in which he mocks kidnapped activists attempting to breach the Gaza blockade, has ignited fierce backlash and dealt a severe blow to Israel's multi-million-dollar public relations campaign, known as 'Hasbara'.

The video, shared on social media platform X, shows Ben-Gvir gloating as activists from the Global Sumud Freedom Flotilla kneel on the floor, blindfolded and bound, at Ashdod Port. Israeli naval forces intercepted the flotilla's ships in international waters off Cyprus, unlawfully abducting 430 participants. Among them, at least 87 had been on hunger strike to protest the detention of over 9,500 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Images of activists being dragged across the floor prompted countries including Italy, France, Netherlands, Canada, and Spain to summon Israeli ambassadors, condemning the 'unacceptable' behavior and violations of human dignity.

The Collapse of the 'Hasbara' Illusion

Experts say the frantic damage control by Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordering the swift deportation of activists, stems not from moral outrage but from catastrophic harm to Israel's global image. For decades, Israel has relied on 'Hasbara'—a propaganda campaign to justify its policies and military actions against Palestinians to the international community.

Fathi Nimer, a Palestinian policy fellow at Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network, described Hasbara as a state propaganda tool to 'whitewash the occupation'. He noted the Hasbara budget is projected to rise from about $15 million in 2023 to $700 million by 2026, due to Israel's deepening isolation after the Gaza war. 'The mistake of Israeli leaders is not torturing or humiliating activists, but broadcasting it to the world,' Nimer said.

Mtanes Shehadeh, an academic expert on Israeli affairs, emphasized: 'The video transmitted the authentic reality of Israel to the whole world, providing irrefutable evidence that organized violence and disregard for human rights are the foundation of the current Israeli government.'

U.S. Double Standards and 'Terrorism-Support' Sanctions

After the video surfaced, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee criticized Ben-Gvir but focused on the impoliteness of broadcasting rather than the human rights violations. Just a day earlier, the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on four organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla, labeling the humanitarian mission a 'terrorism-support flotilla'. Analysts pointed to a stark contradiction: the U.S. swiftly sanctions humanitarian activists yet shields far-right Israeli ministers like Ben-Gvir from accountability.

A Microcosm of Palestinian Suffering

Mustafa Barghouti, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative, said the bound and blindfolded activists are merely a 'microcosm' of what Palestinian prisoners endure daily. Human rights groups estimate nearly 100 Palestinians have died in custody since October 2023, with reports of starvation, severe beatings, and lack of medical care. Luisa Morgantini, former vice president of the European Parliament, urged European nations to suspend association agreements with Israel, halt arms sales, and support ICC arrest warrants for Israeli leaders.

'The Hammer' and the Flotillas

Despite interceptions and sanctions, activists say flotilla campaigns since 2009 have succeeded in exposing the limits of Israeli power. Nimer quoted psychologist Abraham Maslow: 'If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail. This is the only way the Israeli military knows to act—through force and piracy. Hasbara serves to justify this brutality, but the flotillas continue to challenge the blockade, accumulating small victories and accelerating Israel's global isolation.'