The detention and public humiliation of Australian citizens aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla raises broader questions about whether Australia applies its human rights principles differently when the state involved is a close ally.

The footage released this week by Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, quickly spread across social media and international news outlets. In the videos, activists and Australian citizens detained aboard the “Global Sumud Flotilla” appear kneeling on the ground with their hands restrained while Ben-Gvir walks past them mockingly.

The flotilla had been attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and challenge the ongoing blockade. According to reports, more than 300 activists from different countries were detained, including 11 Australians – among them doctors, students, academics, filmmakers and peace activists.

But what disturbed many people was not only the interception itself. It was the public humiliation that followed.

Some detainees were restrained with plastic ties, others forced to kneel while the Israeli national anthem played through loudspeakers. For many observers, the scenes looked less like a routine security operation and more like a deliberate display of domination and humiliation.

Even in situations involving detention or maritime interception, civilians remain protected under basic principles of humane treatment. That is why figures........

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