Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg described the current atmosphere aboard the vessel Madleen as both peaceful and upbeat, as she and other activists continue their voyage toward Gaza. In a recorded message sent to The Sunday Times, Thunberg said, “I would say it’s fairly calm, but high spirits,” adding, “We are very happy to be actually going, to be sailing.”
Thunberg embarked on the journey from Sicily on June 1 with 11 other activists who support the Palestinian cause. Their goal was to arrive in Gaza by June 7. Although they missed that target, the group now reports that they have passed Egyptian waters and intend to reach Gaza on Monday—unless stopped by the Israeli navy. While the group describes their mission as a humanitarian effort to bring aid to Gaza, Bild, a German publication, reported that some participants are known for extreme anti-Western views, support for terrorist organizations, and calls for the dismantling of Israel.
Explaining her involvement in the voyage, Thunberg said to The Times, “What brought me on this boat? Just being human, seeing the footage from Gaza, hearing the reports and feeling that I need to do something, whatever that is.” She continued, “And for some reason I have a platform, and if I can use that platform, for example, being on this boat and amplifying the Palestinian cause, then of course I have to do that. Because I care about justice and because … I cannot just sit around and watch this genocide happening without doing something.”
Thunberg further argued that climate activism cannot be separated from global injustices. “You cannot be a climate justice activist if you are ignoring all the marginalized people today and their suffering,” she said. “Both the climate crisis, the genocide in Palestine and other humanitarian crises all over the world are results of systems that sacrifice the vast majority of people and … the planet just for a very fortunate few to be able to make profit and to profit out of that exploitation and to be able to keep their geopolitical power at all costs. So I see many parallels. What is happening in Palestine is not only a genocide but also an ecocide.”
In response to criticism that her activism may carry antisemitic undertones, Thunberg rejected the accusation outright. “Every day since I was 15 I have received criticism from every possible angle, no matter what I do. If they can’t find anything, they make something up, for example like antisemitism accusations,” she said. She added: “We are saying that no one should be valued more or less than anyone else because of their background. And that applies to everything, also to the Palestinian cause.”
Despite her vocal support for Gaza, Thunberg has yet to make any statement denouncing the brutal Hamas-led assault on Israelis on October 7, nor has she commented on the civilians who were murdered or taken hostage during that attack.
While the activists describe their journey as a mission of mercy, the roster of participants raises questions. Among them are Rima Hassan, a French-Palestinian European Parliament member who is barred from entering Israel; Omar Faiad, a reporter for Al Jazeera; Yasemin Acar, who posted a video of herself dancing as Iranian missiles were fired at Israel; and Thiago Avila, who was present at the funeral of Hezbollah figure Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon.
Reva Viard, a French member of the delegation, shared her reflections with The Times. “The more time passes, the closer we get to the point of tension — but the more time passes, the more the international community mobilizes. So we’re all calm on board, and hope grows as we move forward. So the possibility that the Israeli army will attack or board the Madleen obviously exists … but there are also other boats that have reached Palestine. So we’re banking on this scenario more than any other.”
{Matzav.com}