Despite Ben-Gvir taunting activists, Italy refuses to sanction Israel

Once upon a time, Europe and its countries used to be in control of the Mediterranean Sea. Things have changed dramatically over the past few years.

The Israeli regime has been pushing its maritime boundaries up to Cypriot and Greek waters, redefining its jurisdictional control over the Mediterranean and extending its blockade of the strip hundreds of nautical miles.

Subsequently, intercepting and seizing eight flotilla vessels bound for the besieged Gaza Strip in European waters, and kidnapping and torturing its crew, has become the norm.

• Italy refuses to sanction Israel despite Ben-Gvir's taunting of detained, hand cuffed flotilla activists
  

  Italy refuses to sanction Israel despite Ben-Gvir's taunting of detained, hand cuffed flotilla activists

  European governments have slammed Israel

The latest episode took place on Monday when Israeli forces began storming more than 50 flotilla boats in international waters off the coast of Cyprus, abducting hundreds of activists.

Israel simply benefits from the fact that no heads of state in ... Europe is opposing what it is doing.

They are all subordinated to a system of power which is badly affecting the economies of all countries involved.

Francesco Silvestri, Chamber of Deputies. Italy

However, Western governments could not turn a blind eye to a video posted by the regime's far-right minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, in which he is seen taunting abducted and handcuffed flotilla activists.

On Thursday, an Italian lawmaker and a journalist who were aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla convoy on Monday returned to Italy.

The pair accused the regime of maltreatment, revealing that they were beaten and their wrists and ankles were chained while in detention in Israeli prisons.

• Gaza flotilla activists subjected to sexual, physical abuse in Israeli custody
  

  Gaza flotilla activists subjected to sexual, physical abuse in Israeli custody: Report

  Israeli forces abducted activists from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in international waters, subjecting them to sexual violence, physical assault, and degrading treatment in custody.

A number of countries, including Italy, France, the Netherlands, and Canada, have summoned the Israeli ambassadors to their capitals to express their indignation and lodge a formal complaint over the Israeli regime's treatment of the abducted Gaza-bound flotilla activists.

Now, if this indignation will translate into some concrete measures to punish Tel Aviv remains to be seen.

Nothing will happen! If these states were serious about punishing Israel, they would have not summoned the Israeli ambassadors.

We must impose sanctions and cut all ties with a beastly government that clearly is out of its mind.

Francesco Silvestri, Chamber of Deputies. Italy

• Gaza flotilla activists recount abuse after release from Israeli custody
  

  Gaza flotilla activists recount abuse after release from Israeli custody

  Activists detained by Israeli forces after attempting to deliver aid to Tel Aviv-blockaded Gaza aboard a flotilla recount being subjected to physical and sexual abuse.

Antonio La Piccirella is an Italian activist who was detained following the Israeli interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla earlier this month.

He returned to Italy two days ago, and on Thursday, he told Press TV about the inhumane conditions he was subjected to by the regime while in detention.

Let me start by saying that the violence I was subjected to is nothing compared to what the Palestinians are facing.

The second time I was arrested by the Israelis, they locked me into a van with 10 people. We were practically naked. I was sleep-deprived.

During the night they first beat us, and then they turned the air conditioning on to the coldest temperatures. We were left freezing for hours inside the van. I was about to pass out. We were forced to hug each other to get some warmth in order to survive.

This same torture technique is used against the Palestinians, but to a much higher extent.

Antonio La Piccirella, Activist

Later on Thursday, Italy's Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, abandoned a television interview when pressed by journalists to provide an answer to whether punitive sanctions would be imposed by the Italian government on the Israeli regime.

• Israel deports two activists it had abducted from Gaza-bound Sumud 2 flotilla
  

  Israel deports two activists it had abducted from Gaza-bound Sumud 2 flotilla

  Israel has deported two activists from the occupied territories who had been abducted from the Gaza-bound Sumud 2 flotilla.

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www.presstv.co.uk