Thunberg promises to ‘try every single day’ to help Palestinians after Israeli navy seizes ‘selfie yacht’ and forces her onto plane – as Trump mocks: ‘She needs anger management!’
Defiant climate activist Greta Thunberg has vowed her failed attempt to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza is “not the end” – promising to “try every single day” to help Palestinians after being unceremoniously deported by Israeli authorities.
The 22-year-old Swedish campaigner, who famously refuses to fly due to carbon emissions, was forced onto a plane to France on Tuesday after Israeli naval forces seized her aid boat in what activists branded an act of “piracy” in international waters.
Speaking to journalists after landing at Paris’s Charles de Gaulle Airport, a resolute Thunberg declared: “What is certain is that we will not stop. We are going to continue to try to do everything we can because that is the promise that we have given to Palestinians.
We are going to try every single day in every way that we can and keep trying to demand an end to the atrocities.
DRAMATIC HIGH SEAS SEIZURE
Israeli commandos boarded the British-flagged yacht ‘Madleen’ at 3:02am local time on Monday, approximately 200 kilometers (125 miles) off Gaza’s coast, after Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the military to “take whatever measures are necessary” to stop the vessel.
Dramatic footage showed the 12 activists, including Thunberg, sitting with their hands raised and wearing orange life jackets as Israeli forces took control of the boat, which was carrying what organizers called a “symbolic amount” of aid including baby formula and medical supplies.
In a pre-recorded video released after the seizure, Thunberg claimed: “If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by Israeli occupational forces.”
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which organized the voyage, accused Israel of committing an “act of piracy” and conducting an “unlawful” boarding of their vessel.
TRUMP’S MOCKING RESPONSE
President Donald Trump couldn’t resist taking a swipe at the young activist, dismissing her kidnapping claims with characteristic bombast.
I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “She’s a young, angry person… I think she has to go to an anger management class.”
The US President’s mocking comments came as Israeli authorities released a pointed photo of Thunberg smiling aboard the seized vessel while being offered a pastrami sandwich by an Israeli soldier – an image clearly intended to undermine claims of harsh treatment.
‘SELFIE YACHT’ JIBE
Israeli officials took a dismissive tone throughout the incident, with the Foreign Ministry mockingly referring to the aid vessel as a “selfie yacht” carrying “celebrities” on a publicity stunt.
Katz went further, ordering that the activists be shown videos of Hamas’s October 7 attacks upon arriving at Ashdod port. When they saw what it was about, they refused to continue watching,” he said.
The ministry sarcastically noted that “the tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the ‘celebrities’ will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels.
FORCED ONTO FLIGHTS
After being detained at a facility in Ramle, Thunberg and three other activists – including a journalist – agreed to immediate deportation rather than face Israeli judicial proceedings.
The climate campaigner, who has built her reputation on refusing to fly, was photographed sitting glumly on a plane bound for Paris, from where she would continue to Sweden.
Eight other crew members refused deportation and remain in Israeli detention, with their lawyers demanding they be allowed to complete their journey to Gaza.
‘CHAOTIC AND UNCERTAIN’
Describing the detention, Thunberg said conditions were “quite chaotic and uncertain” but added that their experience was “absolutely nothing compared to what people are going through in Palestine and especially Gaza right now.
Spanish activist Sergio Toribio, who was also deported, was more forceful in his condemnation after arriving in Barcelona: “It is unforgivable, it is a violation of our rights. It is a pirate attack in international waters.”
BLOCKADE CONTROVERSY
The incident has reignited debate over Israel‘s 18-year naval blockade of Gaza, which Israel says is necessary to prevent weapons reaching Hamas but critics condemn as collective punishment of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.
The voyage had set sail from Sicily on June 1st with the stated aim of delivering humanitarian aid and raising awareness about Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, where health officials say more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7.
Among those on board was Rima Hassan, a Syrian-born French MEP of Palestinian background who has previously been barred from entering Israel. She remains in detention along with activists from Turkey, Netherlands, Brazil and Germany.
INTERNATIONAL BACKLASH
The seizure has drawn criticism from human rights groups, with Amnesty International calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all activists and declaring Israel’s actions a violation of international law.
UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese urged other Mediterranean ports to send boats with aid to Gaza, writing on social media: “Madleen’s journey may have ended, but the mission isn’t over.
The incident comes as Israel faces mounting international pressure over its blockade, having sealed off Gaza completely by land for three months before recently allowing limited food supplies under armed guard.
NOT HER FIRST RODEO
This isn’t Thunberg’s first foray into Middle East politics. The climate activist has increasingly turned her attention to Palestinian causes, using her massive platform to criticize Israel’s military operations.
Her participation in the flotilla marks a significant escalation in her activism, moving from climate protests to direct action against what she and other activists call Israel’s “illegal blockade.
As she promised in Paris: “This is not the end for us.”
Whether Israeli authorities will be as accommodating if she attempts a return voyage remains to be seen – but one thing is certain: Greta Thunberg won’t be silenced easily.
