Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar says he discussed last week’s Gaza flotilla incident with Canadian counterpart Anita Anand after she summoned Israel’s ambassador to Canada.
“I described the sole aim of the extremist, anti-Israel flotilla activists: provocation at the service of Hamas,” Sa’ar said in a May 25 social media post. He added Israel would continue to act in accordance with international law and will not allow the naval blockade on Gaza to be breached.
Anand issued a readout of the call later in the day, saying she raised Canada’s “serious concern with Israel’s mistreatment of Canadian participants in the flotilla.”
The minister said Canada is providing Israel with evidence of the mistreatment and has asked for an independent investigation and accountability. Anand also said Canadian citizens were denied consular access while detained in breach of the Vienna Convention.
Activists with the Global Summud Flotilla, travelling aboard 50 boats, were intercepted by the Israeli navy last week in the Mediterranean Sea near Cyprus as they attempted to breach the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. A dozen Canadians were among those detained by Israeli authorities. More than 400 activists involved in the flotilla were held by Israel for between one and four days.
While similar flotillas and interceptions in the region are not uncommon, the incident drew heightened international attention after Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir released a video of himself mocking the detained activists and saying they should be imprisoned for a “long, long time.”
Following the incident, Anand said on May 21 that she had directed Global Affairs Canada to summon Israeli Ambassador to Canada Iddo Moed over Israel’s treatment of Canadian citizens.
