Rome Opens Torture Probe Into Israeli Minister, Prompting Insult and Diplomatic Rebuke

Rome has opened a criminal investigation into Israel's national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, on suspicion of torture and kidnapping, triggering a crude insult from the far-right politician and a sharp diplomatic response. The probe, confirmed by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Tuesday, centres on the treatment of activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla intercepted by Israeli forces in mid-May as it tried to breach the Gaza blockade. More than 400 campaigners on some 50 vessels were detained and taken to Ashdod, where Ben-Gvir filmed and shared a video of bound prisoners forced to kneel while he waved an Israeli flag. At least three complaints from Italian nationals among the activists have been lodged.

Ben-Gvir reacted with a sneering social media post: 'The country of the boot has become the country of flip-flops,' adding that Israel would not be 'a punching bag for a bunch of lying supporters of terrorism.' The remark drew an unusually blunt condemnation from Tajani, who told a joint parliamentary committee session that he had 'no words' for the insult, calling it 'unacceptable' and 'not worthy of a minister.' The comments, he said, 'demonstrate the political and moral level of this gentleman.' Rome, he stressed, remains a friend of Israel but would 'return to sender any offence or attempt to denigrate.'

The spat unfolds amid broader Italian regional engagement. Tajani reiterated that Italy is pressing for European Union sanctions against Ben-Gvir, a demand first raised after earlier Flotilla incidents. He confirmed Italy's readiness to join a maritime mission in the Strait of Hormuz once hostilities end, and warned that crises in the Gulf and Lebanon had 'crossed a further threshold.' Separately, two Italian nationals who had been attempting to reach Gaza by land are detained in Benghazi, Libya, with a new prosecutor's hearing scheduled for Tuesday. Tajani said diplomatic pressure had improved their conditions and Rome was working for their 'rapid liberation.'

From European capitals, the investigation escalates legal accountability efforts that began with Italian probes into previous Flotilla missions. The self-published video evidence has caused particular revulsion and may strengthen the case for targeted EU measures. Arab media have framed the development as a rare instance of a 'Zionist minister' being placed under formal suspicion by a Western judiciary, while Israeli far-right circles have rallied around Ben-Gvir, who leads the ultranationalist Otzma Yehudit party and has vowed not to be 'discouraged' by any inquiry. The affair tests Italy's traditionally close ties with Israel at a moment when Rome is simultaneously managing consular crises from Libya to the Gulf, and seeking to uphold international humanitarian law without severing strategic partnerships.