Tajani blasts probed Israeli Minister Ben Gvir over Italy 'flip-flop' gibe

Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister

Antonio Tajani on Tuesday hit back at Israeli National Security

Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who compared Italy to a flip-flop

after learning he is under investigation in Rome over his public

and self-videoed humiliation of Global Sumud Flotilla for Gaza

activists detained in the Israeli port of Ashdod last month.

In a post on X, Ben Gvir said: "the land of the boot has become

the land of the flip-flop".

Tajani responded during a a joint meeting of the Foreign Affairs

and Defence Committees of the Lower House and the Senate with

Defence Minister Guido Crosetto.

"I have no words to comment on what Ben Gvir said about Italy

yesterday after learning he was under investigation by the

public prosecutor's office," Tajani said.

"These are unacceptable remarks that we reject outright; they

are unworthy of a minister.

"Italy is a friend of Israel that has always defended freedom

and democracy, and we reject any insult or attempt to denigrate

us".

After the activists seeking to get aid to Gaza were intercepted

in international waters and taken to Ashdod, Ben Gvir mocked

them as wannabe heroes while they were forced to kneel, faces to

the ground, blindfolded and cuffed, and he told them "Welcome to

Israel".

Ben Gvir has been put under investigation into a probe into

alleged abduction and torture in relation to the treatment of

the activists, including many Italians, sources said.

Tajani pointed out on Tuesday that he has asked EU High

Representative for Foreign and Security Affairs Kaja Kallas to

present a proposal for sanctions on Ben Gvir to the foreign

affairs council and that many countries, including France and

the Netherlands, were in favour.

"We will see in the coming days whether it is possible to reach

a consensus in Europe, but I want to reassure this House that we

will continue to push towards this goal," Tajani said.

"We are ready to evaluate, with our European partners, measures

on products from illegal settlements," he added.

"We are awaiting the European Commission's proposals".

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