Could it get any funnier?
Greta lands in Paris: "Israel kidnapped us in international waters" | WATCH
Greta’s Paris pitstop was less a victory lap and more a comedic crash-landing, complete with a side of irony as thick as the jet fuel fumes.
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg landed in Paris, France, after being deported from Israel for her involvement in a Gaza-bound aid mission with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.
The British-flagged yacht Madleen, carrying Thunberg and 11 other activists, was intercepted by Israeli naval forces in international waters on June 9, 2025, as it attempted to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza to deliver symbolic aid, including baby formula and rice. Thunberg, along with two other activists and a journalist, signed deportation papers and was placed on an El Al flight from Tel Aviv to Paris without a security escort, en route to her home in Sweden.
Upon her detention, Thunberg released a video claiming she and her fellow activists were “kidnapped” by Israeli forces, a statement that sparked controversy. She reiterated this upon landing in Paris, saying, “We were kidnapped in international waters and a crime was committed, but that’s nothing compared to the genocide happening in Gaza.”
Israel’s Foreign Ministry countered, calling the flotilla a “selfie yacht” and dismissing her claims, with one official noting she was “safe and in good spirits” during detention, even sharing images of her being offered food and water. Israeli authorities also ordered the activists to watch footage of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks, which Thunberg reportedly refused to view.
The Paris landing drew attention due to the high-profile nature of the activists involved, including French-Palestinian European Parliament member Rima Hassan, who refused to sign deportation papers and remained detained in Israel.
Posts on X reported tensions on the flight, with some claiming Israeli passengers insulted Thunberg and Hassan. Her decision to fly, despite her past stance against air travel for environmental reasons, also sparked accusations of hypocrisy on X, noting the 234kg CO₂-per-passenger emissions of the flight.
Thunberg’s Paris stopover is a brief transit before she continues to Sweden,
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