In May, Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla—a convoy of dozens of boats carrying activists and aid bound for the Gaza Strip—and detained hundreds of its passengers.
Days later, far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted videos of himself taunting the detainees — sparking international condemnation and a rebuke from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said it “wasn’t in line with Israel’s values and norms.”
In one video, an officer forces a woman to the ground as she shouts “Free Palestine!” Another shows dozens of detainees with their hands fastened behind their backs as they kneel with their heads to the ground.
“Welcome to Israel. We are the landlords here,” Ben-Gvir says.
That’s why Arizona’s Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego is calling on Sec. of State Marco Rubio to deny Ben-Gvir a visa.
Gallego’s letter, signed alongside US Sens. Chris Coons (D-DE), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), urged Rubio to consider if Gvir’s conduct violates visa eligibility.
A US visa denial would align with steps allies have already taken. France banned Ben-Gvir from entering its territory in late May over his treatment of the flotilla detainees, and Italy has pushed for European Union sanctions against him. The UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway sanctioned Ben-Gvir in 2025 over incitement of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank—sanctions Rubio condemned at the time, urging the countries to reverse them.
A shifting Democratic stance
The letter comes as support for Israel among Democrats declines, with a growing number of congressional leaders calling for the US to reconsider its longstanding alliance with Israel. Gallego has faced criticism from both sides of the aisle, including for accepting donations from pro-Israeli lobby groups, and for not supporting Israel enough.
In March, Gallego told Politico he’d no longer accept money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a pro-Israel lobbying group, regarding concerns with Israeli actions in recent years under Netanyahu.
“I wouldn’t take AIPAC money, because you have to basically be endorsing what’s happening right now, and it’s not good,” he said.
Gallego has walked a fine line on the issue. Last July, Gallego missed a vote to block arms shipments to Israel, later saying he would have voted against the resolution had he not been on paternity leave. That same month, he signed onto a letter calling for more humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and urged the Trump administration to end the war.
His stance has continued to shift as Israel’s conduct in the region has drawn international condemnation. In April, Gallego joined 39 Democratic colleagues in voting to block weapons sales to Israel, citing concerns with Netanyahu’s government and the war with Iran. The vote indicated a notable shift in Democratic positions, as a similar resolution a year earlier drew only 15 Democratic votes – Gallego was not one of them.
Gallego, widely seen as a potential 2028 presidential contender, has framed his criticism around human rights and Netanyahu’s government rather than Israel itself—an approach that could appeal to progressives and Arab American groups without alienating moderates.
“The United States cannot credibly defend human rights abroad while allowing foreign officials who publicly degrade detained civilians to enjoy the privilege of entry into this country,” the senators wrote. “Upholding the humane treatment of detainees, protecting civilians and humanitarian actors, and opposing the public humiliation of people in custody are core American principles.”
They added that Ben-Gvir’s conduct is “inconsistent” with US principles.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
Gallego asked Rubio to respond by June 17 to a list of questions, inquiring if giving Gvir a visa violates Section 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows the US to deny a visa to anyone whose presence or proposed activities risks foreign policy consequences.
“Denying Minister Ben-Gvir a U.S. visa would send a clear and necessary message: individuals who abuse public office to degrade detained civilians should not be granted the privilege of entry into the United States,” the senators wrote.
Mohyeddin Abdulaziz, the founder of the Arizona Palestine Solidarity Alliance, an advocacy group, called the letter a “positive” step, and said that Ben-Gvir should be held accountable for his rhetoric and actions, including what Abdulaziz described as his support for the ethnic cleansing of the Gaza Strip.
“Ben-Gvir is a war criminal, an international human rights criminal, and must be held accountable and brought to justice,” Abdulaziz said. “He doesn’t deserve to come to the United States, except for maybe prison.”
Abdulaziz added that Congress should reconsider its financial support for the Israeli military after more than 70,000 deaths in the Gaza Strip since 2023. Since 1948, the US has provided Israel with more than $300 billion in economic and military assistance, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, an independent thinktank.
That money spent on “genocide, apartheid, ethnic cleansing, the violence, and war,” Abdulaziz said, could be redirected to American communities, instead.
“If we succeed in ending this support, it’s not only good for the Israelis and the Palestinians, but also for our own people here,” Abdulaziz said. “Our communities need these billions of dollars that are spent on war and destruction to improve the conditions of our people here. We need them for education, healthcare, not for war, violence, and genocide, and apartheid.”
