This statement follows the treatment inflicted by the Israeli government on activists from the “Gaza flotilla”, after the broadcast of a video which caused an international outcry.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said Tuesday that he was considering a «saisine» of French justice for the treatment he judged “odious” inflicted by the Israeli government on activists of the «flotilla for Gaza »after the broadcast of a video which caused an international outcry.
“More than the images, the acts (are) absolutely odious, shocking” et “We condemn them without reservation, because they are shocking on a human level, they are shocking in terms of international law”he declared to the National Assembly, during the government questions session. Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot“will receive the various lawyers concerned, and since they are French nationals, we do not rule out a referral to our own justice system on all of the actions such as we saw in this video”he added.
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Kneeling and hands tied
Mr. Lecornu was responding to a question from the leader of the environmentalist deputies Cyrielle Chatelain. The head of French diplomacy announced on Saturday that France had prohibited access to its territory to the Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, after the broadcast of a video of activists of the “flotilla for Gaza” kneeling with their hands tied, following their interception at sea and their placement in detention in southern Israel.
Several of these activists denounced “violence”, “touching” or even “humiliations” imposed by Israeli forces during their detention. Mr. Barrot had also asked “It is up to the European Union to also take sanctions against Itamar Ben GVir”. Mr. Ben GVir’s gesture was criticized within the Israeli government itself, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denouncing treatment “not in line with Israeli values and standardsâ€.
Around fifty ships left Turkey on May 14 with the aim of a new attempt to break the blockade imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip, ravaged by two years of war. The Israeli authorities announced the arrest of 430 activists – including 37 French – on board the boats who were all expelled on Thursday.
