Featured Image Credit: Twitter/X/Greta Thunberg. YAHYA HASSOUNA/AFP via Getty Images
Topics: Greta Thunberg, Israel
Stewart Perrie
Topics: Greta Thunberg, Israel
Greta Thunberg has attracted criticism from the Israeli government after she highlighted the terrors in Gaza.
The Swedish climate activist wrote on Twitter/X last week that her heart goes out to all the people struggling in the besieged territory.
She wrote: "Today we strike in solidarity with Palestine and Gaza.
"The world needs to speak up and call for an immediate ceasefire, justice and freedom for Palestinians and all civilians affected."
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Greta held a sign saying 'stand with Gaza' and her supporters also displayed signs that said 'Free Palestine' and This Jew stands with Palestine'.
However, Israel has not taken kindly to the post and has ripped into her.
The official government account replied to her post with: "Hamas doesn’t use sustainable materials for their rockets which have BUTCHERED innocent Israelis.
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"The victims of the Hamas massacre could have been your friends. Speak up."
Greta responded to the criticism and also condemned the actions of Hamas.
Militants launched a terror attack on Israel earlier this month, which killed more than 1,400 people.
There was a coordinated assault on key targets in the country and fighters also took dozens of hostages into Gaza.
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Thunberg said: "It goes without saying - or so I thought - that I’m against the horrific attacks by Hamas.
"As I said, 'the world needs to speak up and call for an immediate ceasefire, justice and freedom for Palestinians and all civilians affected'."
She also addressed a rather odd part of the initial post.
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While she was sitting with three others and held up signs calling for a free Palestine, there were some people calling out a small octopus plush toy in the background.
The photo was deleted and a new one, the one that is still up on Twitter/X, emerged.
Apparently an octopus can be seen as a symbol for antisemitism and there were some users who thought Greta was giving a very subtle message.
However, she said: "It has come to my knowledge that the stuffed animal shown in my earlier post can be interpreted as a symbol for antisemitism, which I was completely unaware of.
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"The toy in the picture is a tool often used by autistic people as a way to communicate feelings.
"We are of course against any type of discrimination, and condemn antisemitism in all forms and shapes. This is non-negotiable. That is why I deleted the last post."