[68451] Diplomatic crisis: Italy and Canada demand clarifications from Israel following the Gaza flotilla events

Diplomatic crisis following Minister Ben-Gvir's conduct regarding the Gaza flotilla

A wave of diplomatic unrest was recorded today, May 20, 2026, as two Western countries exert pressure on Israel following the events of the Gaza flotilla. According to a report on News Voice on 🆃🅴🅻🅴🅶🆁🅰️🅼🔴, the Italian Foreign Ministry announced it is summoning the Israeli ambassador for a clarification talk. Simultaneously, the Prime Minister of Italy demanded "immediate release of its citizens arrested on the flotilla" as well as an "official apology" for videos circulated by the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Reports indicate that the tension stems from the conduct of Minister Ben-Gvir, whose actions were not coordinated with the authorized political echelons. Amit Segal, identified with right-wing positions, clarifies that the Italian demand for an apology was born following videos published by the Minister, which "were not coordinated with the Foreign Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office and are, in fact, completely contrary to the general line" as quoted in ZiratNews.

Parallel to the European arena, Canada has also joined the criticism. Ben Caspit and Channel 12 (Yanir Cozin and Yaron Avraham) report that the Canadian Foreign Minister announced the summoning of the Israeli ambassador for a protest talk. The Canadians described the treatment of the Gaza flotilla participants as "unacceptable."

It appears that the government in Israel is dealing with image and diplomatic repercussions due to actions taken without the approval of the senior political echelon. While official figures have yet to formally respond to the claims, the sources highlight the gap between Israel's declared policy and the publicized activity of Minister Ben-Gvir on the ground.