10.06.2025 17:10
One of the 12 activists on the Madleen ship, which was detained by Israel while carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, Greta Thunberg has been deported. Thunberg referred to a photo of her receiving a sandwich from an Israeli soldier as "a cheap public relations (PR) stunt." She also responded to Trump's description of her as "an angry young woman."
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Climate activist Greta Thunberg, who set foot in France after being deported from Israel, described a photo taken while receiving a sandwich from an Israeli soldier as "a cheap public relations (PR) stunt by Israel." Following the halt of the "freedom flotilla" on Monday, Thunberg, who was accused of moral superiority, responded strongly to these criticisms. She also gave an unforgettable reply to Donald Trump's description of her as "an angry young woman."
The 22-year-old activist, who was detained by Israel along with 11 others, shared her experiences with reporters. Thunberg stated that they set out to deliver a symbolic amount of aid from Italy to Gaza and to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in the region, and she strongly rejected accusations from their opponents in Israel that they were "protesting." Thunberg remarked that it was "ironic" for such claims to come from them, saying, "Distributing sandwiches was a complete PR stunt." The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs described this journey as "nothing more than a show by famous activists" and dubbed the Madleen ship a "selfie boat." After their ships were halted, a photo of Greta receiving bread from a soldier became widely discussed.
Thunberg responded for the first time to Donald Trump's nighttime comments about her being "an angry young woman" and his words that she "should take anger management classes": "Honestly, I think the world needs many more young and angry women, especially considering what is happening right now."
Reiterating that Israel violated rights by "kidnapping" the group in international waters and "detaining them against their will" after the Israeli forces halted the Madleen ship, Thunberg spoke to reporters at Paris's Charles de Gaulle Airport after being deported from Israel: "This is a deliberate violation of rights added to the countless other violations committed by Israel."
The crew of the Madleen ship, which aimed to deliver aid to Gaza, was captured by Israeli Navy boats on Monday morning before reaching the shore and was taken to Ashdod port. Eight of the 12 activists are awaiting a court decision because they refused to sign deportation documents. Thunberg and three others left Israel after signing the documents.
When asked why she chose to return, she replied, "Why should I stay in an Israeli prison any longer than necessary?" She stated that she and some others wanted to return "as soon as possible," but they did not accept the claim that they entered the country illegally.
Thunberg said, "We were held in separate places... I couldn't make contact. I couldn't talk or say goodbye to [the other activists]," and added: "But I know that people have had very serious problems talking to lawyers." When asked if she was interrogated, she clearly answered "Yes." Thunberg noted that they experienced a "quite chaotic and uncertain" situation during their detention, emphasizing that the conditions they faced "cannot be compared to what people are currently experiencing in Palestine, especially in Gaza."
When asked if she found the mission successful, she said, "We were very aware of the risks of going on this mission... There have been many flotillas that have been attacked, stopped, or actually reached Gaza before." She added, "So of course the goal was to reach Gaza and distribute humanitarian aid. We were 12 peaceful volunteers on a ship carrying humanitarian aid in international waters."
Thunberg maintained, "We did not break the law. We did nothing wrong." When asked about her next steps, she said, "As you can see, I urgently need a shower and sleep, but one thing is for sure, we will not stop." She added, "We will continue to do everything we can because that is the promise we made to the Palestinians; we will continue to try every day, in every way, to demand an end to the oppression perpetrated by Israel." When asked if she would personally try to break the Gaza blockade again, she mentioned that another march was already planned but did not make a definite promise about a new initiative.
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