On Monday, Israeli authorities boarded the UK-flagged yacht Madleen, on which Greta Thunberg was sailing. That prominent climate activist was indeed deported from Israel while attempting to serve as a humanitarian corridor into Gaza. Thunberg had called her arrest a kidnapping in international waters. She expressed concern for her crewmates, including the fact that some remain detained.
The incident occurred approximately 125 miles off the coast of Gaza, where Thunberg and a crew that included French MEP Rima Hassan were aiming to address what she described as the “systematic starvation of over 2 million people and the full-blown, livestream genocide.” Thunberg continued by reinforcing that her mission was larger than herself. She expressed a hope to galvanize the public and policymakers around growing awareness of the humanitarian crisis faced by the region.
When arrested, Thunberg declined to sign a letter admitting that she had entered Israel illegally. She asserted, “I was very clear in my testimony that we were kidnapped on international waters and brought against our own will into [Israel].”
Thunberg went on to talk about how she felt for her fellow crew members. She felt she couldn’t say goodbye to them and was puzzled by her deportation while others remained in detention. She was very open and candid and shared her concerns, calling for a full release as soon as possible.
“It is unforgivable, it is a violation of our rights. It is a pirate attack in international waters.” – Sergio Toribio, crew member.
After her deportation from Italy, Thunberg skipped across the border to France, where she tweeted her plans to return home to Sweden. Her words and actions have sparked a huge backlash, particularly as she doubles down on her call to arms for young people to be more politically active. In response to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s characterization of her as an “angry person” who should consider anger management classes, Thunberg firmly stated, “I think the world needs many more young angry women, to be honest.”
Thunberg urged wide-ranging action to counter the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. She hopes to plant seeds of solidarity and awareness through her activism. “To send solidarity and say that we see you, we see what is happening and we cannot accept just witnessing all this and doing nothing,” she remarked.
As a climate activist, Thunberg has for years eschewed flying. Her decision to support the Madleen mission underscores her commitment to environmental and humanitarian advocacy. She stressed that her personal indignities are nothing compared to what people in Palestine are experiencing.
“Absolutely nothing compared to what people are going through in Palestine and especially Gaza right now.” – Greta Thunberg.
The incident has led many to question what international maritime law says about such actions. It attacks the rights of those activists operating across conflict lines to deliver humanitarian aid. Legal representatives from Adalah, a legal rights group in Israel, have stated their intent to challenge the actions taken by Israeli authorities.