Latest news with #Thunberg
Mint
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
Greta Thunberg, once mocked in China as ‘naive white leftist', suddenly becomes popular on social media; here's why
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, once mocked in China, is now getting unexpected support from Chinese social media users. This change came after she had tried to sail to Gaza with 11 others to break Israel's blockade and deliver aid. Israeli forces stopped the boat and deported her back to Europe. Her move was followed closely in China. Greta Thunberg, 22, was once criticised on Chinese social media as a 'naive white leftist'. She is now being praised for her Gaza support. Many praised her courage and support for Palestine, saying she risked her life for her beliefs. One user on Weibo has said they used to laugh at her earlier activism but now respect her for standing firm on the Gaza issue. 'Although we oppose this 'young girl' on many issues, we support what she is doing now on the Gaza issue,' the South China Morning Post quoted one user as posting on Weibo. 'She truly practices what she preaches. She even risked her life to go to Gaza. Respect. I hope she stays safe,' a user said. Weibo's AI tracker confirms this change, saying she's seen as someone who truly acts on her beliefs. Other platforms like Douyin and Bilibili also show more support for her. Earlier, Thunberg faced backlash in China for criticising its environmental and human rights policies. State-run media had called her a 'tool of Western politics' and told her to focus only on climate issues. Experts say this shift is not just about Thunberg but reflects growing support for Palestine and rising anti-Israel feelings in China. According to a Hong Kong professor, many Chinese people now support Thunberg because she shares Beijing's view on Gaza. So, it's politics, not climate, which seems to be shaping opinions about her in China right now. 'It is simply because anti-American sentiment has been on the rise among Chinese netizens in recent years, leading to a significant decline in their evaluation of Israel,' SCMP quoted Yan Zhihua as saying.
Gulf Today
a day ago
- Politics
- Gulf Today
The great Gretas
Palestine's tiny strip coastal strip, Gaza, has become a global cause over the past 17 years thanks, in part, to two women called 'Greta.' Californian activist Greta Berlin is a cofounder of the Free Gaza Movement which in 2008 breached Israel's maritime blockade of Gaza by sailing small boats from Cyprus into the strip's fishermen's harbour. Born in Michigan and educated in Indiana and Illinois, Berlin, 84, was introduced to the Palestinian cause by her Palestinian-US husband who was a refugee from the town of Safad seized by Israel during its 1948 war of establishment. She became active in Palestinian advocacy after Israel's 1967 occupation of Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. She and her husband launched a non-profit charity, Pal Aid International, to send medicine and aid to the Palestinians. In response, she said his tax records were audited by the US Internal Revenue Service, they were questioned by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and warned that their two children could be harmed by a pro-Israel organisation. Her second husband was Jewish and anti-Zionist. In 1977, while temporarily abstaining from the Palestinian cause, she established a successful firm for coaching engineers and scientists on how to present their work to conferences around the world. In 2003, Berlin joined the International Solidarity Movement (ISM and travelled to the West Bank to taken part in its peaceful protests against the Israeli occupation. The Free Gaza Movement – established in 2006 – made five successful voyages to Gaza in 2008 but since December that year Israel has blocked all maritime missions to reach the strip. The most violent incident took place in 2010 when Israeli commandos landed by helicopter on the deck of the Istanbul ferry Mavi Marmara and killed nine activists. The Free Gaza banner was taken up in June by high-profile Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and 11 others on the two-masted sailboat Madleen. On the 9th, the boat was commandeered by Israeli commandoes, Thunberg and her colleagues were arrested, taken to Israel's Ashdod port and expelled to their home countries. At 22 years of age, two generations younger than Greta Berlin, Thunberg began to shine as a campaigner In 2018.. Then 15 , she skipped school to demand strong global action against climate change. She vowed to stay away from school until Sweden complied with the terms of the 2016 Paris climate agreement. Students elsewhere around the world followed Thunberg by staging protest boycotts at their schools every Friday. As momentum built, she addressed the 2018 UN Climate Change Conference as well as the 2019 Climate Change Summit in New York where Thunberg accused world leaders of inaction over the growing climate crisis. After graduating from secondary school in 2023, she intensified her involvement in the climate change movement and expanded recruitment by aggressive posting on social media, the chief means of communication used by youngsters of her generation. She also widened her horizons by leading her support to the causes of Palestine, Ukraine, Armenia and Western Sahara. After Hamas seized control of Gaza from the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority In 2007, Israel waged war on the strip In 2008-2009, 2012, 2014, and 2021. These attacks involved deadly and destructive bombings and shelling from which Gaza and Gazans never recovered. Israel controlled everything which entered the strip and limited building material. On Oct.7, 2023, Hamas fighters struck southern Israel, killing 1,200 and abducing 250, according to Israel. It responded with an offensive, two ceasefires and periods when aid could flow. Israel has failed to win the war and to map a route to end it. As the Palestinian death toll mounted to 55,000, Israel has lost global public opinion. Ireland, Spain, and Norway recognised the state of Palestine in May 2024. Other Western governments could follow suit. Thunberg described as 'horrific' Hamas' attack on Israel but added that 'the world needs to speak up and call for an immediate ceasefire, justice and freedom for Palestinians and all civilians affected.' In an article published in The Guardian, Thunberg, and other climate activists in her 'Fridays for the Future' movement, made the connection between the climate and Palestinian causes. They said, 'We won't stop speaking out about Gaza's suffering – there is no climate justice without human rights.' Unlike Berlin, Thunberg has attracted widespread publicity and awards. She was named in Time magazine's 100 most influential people and Forbes' list of the world's 100 most powerful women in 2019 and nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Between 2008 and 2025 – and particularly over the past two years – a great deal has changed on the Palestine advocacy front. While attempting to suppress negative publicity over its policies in the occupied West Bank and dominated Gaza, Israel has not escaped castigation and condemnation. Among its sharpest critics has been B'Tselem, the Israeli rights organisation which labelled Israel's system of West Bank governance as 'apartheid,' which is illegal under international law. This label has been picked up by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch which had been wary of using the term until B'Tselem applied it. In July 2024, the International Court of Justice found Israel responsible for apartheid, war crimes, and crimes against humanity including plausible 'genocide.' Israel's Gaza's war, siege and blockade of Gaza led the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and ex-Defence Minister Yoav Gallant as well as Hamas leaders who were assassinated by Israel. Israel has not escaped accountability in global public opinion and among some Western allied governments although the US has remained loyal. It is much safer these days to be critical of Israel than when Greta Berlin and her sailors began their voyages to Gaza. Photos: AFP
Leaders
4 days ago
- Politics
- Leaders
Madleen Ship: Israel Deports Last 3 Gaza Aid Activists via Jordan
Israel announced that the last three remaining activists of Madleen aid ship have been deported to Jordan, according to Al-Arabiya. Last Deportation via Jordan The Israeli Foreign Ministry announced that Israel would release the final three activists of Flotilla ship who attempted to breach Israel's blockade on Gaza from Israeli custody tomorrow morning. 'The last three participants remaining from the 'Selfie Yacht' (flotilla) were transferred this morning to Jordan via the Allenby Crossing,' the foreign ministry said in a statement. The activists include Marco van Rennes from the Netherlands, Pascal Maurieras and Yanis Mhamdi from France. Deportation of Greta Thunberg Activist Greta Thunberg on a plane back to Sweden via France On June 10, the Foreign Ministry announced the deportation of activist and climate campaigner Greta Thunberg to France. 'Greta Thunberg is departing Israel on a flight to France,' the Foreign Ministry posted in X with a photo of Thunberg on a plane. Deportation of 6 Activists Greta Thunberg and other activists On Thursday, Israel announced the deportation of six more activists held in detention over their attempt to deliver some humanitarian aid to Gaza, according to the Associated Press. 'After more than 72 hours in Israeli custody following the unlawful interception of the Madleen Freedom Flotilla in international waters … six volunteers are now being transferred to Ben Gurion Airport for deportation,' the Adalah rights group said in a statement. The group included two French citizens and nationals of Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands and Turkey. Israel will deport them later Thursday or early Friday. 'Six more passengers from the 'selfie yacht,' including Rima Hassan, are on their way out of Israel.' 'Bye-bye — and don't forget to take a selfie before you leave,' Israel's Foreign Ministry wrote on X. Defying Israel's Blockade on Gaza Madleen Aid Ship Thunberg and 11 other activists sailed to Gaza Strip on June 1 aboard a ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gazans. The aid ship, operated by activist group Freedom Flotilla Coalition, set out from the Sicilian port of Catania in southern Italy on a mission to break 'Israel's siege' of the devastated territory, organizers said. The activists stated that they will try to deliver some aids to Palestinians who are starving due to Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid. However, Israeli forces have taken control of Madleen yacht and detained activists on board. Related Topics: Madleen Ship: Israel to Deport 6 More Gaza Aid Boat Activists Israel to Block Entry of Madleen Aid Ship Heading to Gaza Madleen Ship: Israel Deports Greta Thunberg, Other Activists Held in Detention Short link : Post Views: 26
Al-Ahram Weekly
4 days ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Israel says deports last three Gaza flotilla activists to Jordan - War on Gaza
Israel said Monday it had deported the last three remaining activists from an aid flotilla that attempted to reach the war-torn Gaza Strip last week. Israel's foreign ministry said in a statement that the last three activistis remaining from the flotilla were transferred this morning to Jordan via the Allenby Crossing. The activistis included one Dutch and two French nationals, the ministry added. The Madleen, a boat carrying 12 activists including climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, was intercepted by the Israeli military last Monday as it approached approaches Gaza's waters. Thunberg and three other activists agreed to be deported immediately, while eight others were detained by Israeli authorities, appearing before an immigration tribunal on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the foreign ministry said those remaining in Israel would be flown to their home countries later that week. Five of the activists, including Rima Hassan, a member of the European Parliament from the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party, who is of Palestinian descent, left on Thursday. The remaining three were scheduled to leave Friday morning but Israel closed its airspace after it began striking military and nuclear targets in Iran. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Meet Chris Kebbon, the alleged boyfriend of Greta Thunberg
Greta Thunberg, the 22-year-old Swedish climate activist, has recently made headlines not just for her activism, but also for her rumored relationship with fellow protestor and photographer Chris Kebbon . Thunberg was deported earlier this month after boarding the Madleen, a Gaza-bound charity vessel run by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC). The Israeli military intercepted the ship and deported all 12 passengers, including Thunberg, to their respective countries. Upon her return to Stockholm, one of the first people to greet her was Kebbon, who gave her a long embrace at the airport — a moment that fueled speculation about their relationship. Chris Kebbon, 22, has been a regular fixture by Thunberg's side for over 18 months, according to the Daily Mail. The long-haired photographer, often seen documenting environmental protests, lives in the same middle-class suburb of Stockholm as Thunberg. He's been spotted at multiple demonstrations with her, and was even seen swimming with Thunberg and a group off the coast of Sicily before she set sail for Gaza. Dressed in a green Palestinian keffiyeh, Kebbon was visibly emotional when greeting Thunberg at Arlanda Airport upon her return. He ushered her away from a crowd of supporters, shielding her as they made their way out of the terminal. The duo was also co-defendants in a legal case in London earlier this year. In February 2024, both were cleared of public order charges after protesting outside a London hotel that was hosting oil and gas industry executives. Speaking to Swedish newspaper Vi, Kebbon said his parents had been worried after not hearing from him during his arrest, adding that they might have guessed what had happened after seeing the news about Thunberg. Live Events Kebbon has also shared personal moments online. In one Instagram post, he shared photos of Thunberg captioned: 'Last calm moments together before departure filled with love, care and silly moments.' His online résumé states that he studied film and photography at the prestigious Lycée Français Saint-Louis in Stockholm. He's also an avid surfer and claims to have lived in Syria, Lebanon, and Morocco with his family. Like Thunberg, Kebbon is an active member of the Fridays for Future movement and regularly participates in protests, particularly at Stockholm's Mynttorget public square. He also joined a spontaneous demonstration protesting Thunberg's arrest by Israeli authorities. While their actions and body language have sparked speculation, neither Thunberg nor Kebbon have confirmed whether they are romantically involved.
