Greta Thunberg deported by Israel
Greta Thunberg has been deported from Israel following her failed attempt to sail to Gaza and deliver aid to Palestinians.
Israel has released an image of the despondent climate campaigner onboard a flight to Paris, despite Ms Thunberg's refusal to use air travel because of its environmental impact.
'Greta Thunberg is departing Israel on a flight to France,' the Israeli foreign ministry said in the post.
The 22-year-old appeared to be sitting on the back row of the plane in an economy seat and the five-hour flight will probably emit more than half a ton of CO2 per person.
Ms Thunberg, along with 11 other activists onboard the Madleen, were intercepted by Israel's military early on Monday and taken to the port of Ashdod.
She declared that she had been 'kidnapped' by 'Israeli occupation forces', but was later pictured smiling as soldiers handed out sandwiches and bottles of water.
Upon arrival at Ashdod, Israel Katz, the Israeli defence minister, ordered the activist group, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, to watch a video of Hamas's Oct 7 atrocities.
Ms Thunberg had set out to protest against Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip and its restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
US criticises UK decision to sanction two Israeli ministers
The US has condemned the UK's decision to sanction two Israeli ministers over 'egregious abuses' of human rights in Gaza. Donald Trump's secretary of state Marco Rubio said that the travel ban and asset freeze imposed on Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich 'do not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire' and called for the measures to be reversed. The UK is taking the action alongside Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway. Mr Rubio said that the US 'stands shoulder-to-shoulder' with Israel. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on Tuesday that the ministers had been 'inciting violence against Palestinian people for months and months and months, they have been encouraging egregious abuses of human rights'. In a post on X, Mr Rubio said that the 'United States condemns the sanctions imposed by the governments of United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, and Australia on two sitting members of the Israeli cabinet. These sanctions do not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war.' The United States condemns the sanctions imposed by the governments of United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, and Australia on two sitting members of the Israeli cabinet. These sanctions do not advance U.S.-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and… — Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) June 10, 2025 He went on to say that America reminds 'our partners not to forget who the real enemy is'. 'The United States urges the reversal of the sanctions and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel.' The sanctions against Israel's security and finance ministers were announced on Tuesday. Mr Smotrich and Mr Ben-Gvir both belong to right-wing parties which help to prop up Benjamin Netanyahu's fragile coalition government, and both have been criticised for their hardline stance on Gaza. Mr Smotrich has campaigned against allowing aid into Gaza, and also supported the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law. Meanwhile, Mr Ben-Gvir has called for Gaza's people to be resettled from the territory. In a joint statement with the foreign ministers of the other nations who also imposed sanctions, Mr Lammy said that the two sanctioned ministers had incited 'serious abuses of Palestinian human rights' and described their actions as 'not acceptable'. The statement added: 'We will strive to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate release of the remaining hostages by Hamas which can have no future role in the governance of Gaza, a surge in aid and a path to a two-state solution.' Downing Street said that the two men had been sanctioned in their 'personal capacities' and not 'their ministries and departments'. 'As the Israeli ambassador to the UK has said in recent interviews, their statements in their ministerial capacities do not even represent government policy,' a Number 10 spokesman said. The UK and other allies have upped pressure on Israel in recent weeks, amid aid shortages in Gaza and suggestions a large-scale offensive could be launched into the territory. It has been reported that only scarce amounts of aid is making it into the hands of people, and the slow flow of food and medicines has prompted warnings of famine and starvation.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Hobbs vetoes antisemitism bill, says it's an attack on teachers
Image via Getty Images Arizona's Democratic governor has vetoed a GOP-backed bill that would ban the teaching of antisemitism in public schools and universities — and allow teachers to be personally sued for alleged violations. Critics claimed the proposal would put public school teachers, and comprehensive teaching about the Holocaust, at risk. House Bill 2867 sought to ban Arizona's public K-12 teachers and university professors from teaching antisemitism in their classrooms, and make it illegal for schools to provide antisemitic professional development. But combating antisemitism was just a smokescreen, Gov. Katie Hobbs wrote in her veto letter. 'Unfortunately, this bill is not about antisemitism; it's about attacking our teachers,' Hobbs wrote. 'It puts an unacceptable level of personal liability in place for our public school, community college, and university educators and staff, opening them up to threats of personally costly lawsuits.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Sponsored by Rep. Michael Way, R-Queen Creek, the bill would have allowed students or their parents to bring civil lawsuits against teachers who they claim violated the law. It would have required teachers to be held personally liable for damages, exempting antisemitism from laws that generally shield teachers from being sued for what they teach in the classroom. A handful of Democratic legislators also voted to pass HB2867, including sisters Alma and Consuelo Hernandez, who are both Jewish and have a history of support for Israel and advocacy for expanding laws to combat antisemitism. The bill's creation was spurred by increased antisemitism that occurred across the country and in Arizona after Hamas's brutal Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel that left more than 1,200 dead and 240 kidnapped, and Israel's violent and ongoing response to it. 'If you're pretending that this (antisemitism in schools) does not happen, shame on you, because it does and it's problematic,' Alma Hernandez said before the final vote in the House of Representatives on June 4. '…it is not your right to tell us what is offensive and what isn't antisemitism.' Lori Shepherd, the executive director of the Tucson Jewish Museum and Holocaust Center, asked Hobbs to veto the bill to ensure that teachers can continue with comprehensive lessons about the Holocaust and its aftermath. 'Teaching the Holocaust is not simple,' Shepherd wrote in a June 6 letter to Hobbs. 'It requires confronting moral ambiguity, exploring the roots of hatred, and examining how propaganda, nationalism, and apathy paved the way to genocide. It also invites students to ask tough questions about the legacy of the Holocaust today—questions that often touch on the history of Zionism, the founding of the State of Israel, and the persistence of global antisemitism.' During a Feb. 18 House Education Committee hearing, Republican Rep. Matt Gress, of Phoenix, said he didn't interpret HB2867 as possibly interfering with education about the Holocaust. 'Hate should not be existing inside of our schools,' Gress said. 'And I think this bill moves in that direction.' The definition of antisemitism used in the bill is a controversial one created by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance that includes 'claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour' as an example of antisemitism. Even Ken Stern, who helped to draft the definition 20 years ago when he was the American Jewish Committee's antisemitism expert, now advocates against its use in legal matters, arguing that it has been used as 'a blunt instrument to label anyone an antisemite.' When Sen. Mitzi Epstein of Tempe, whose husband is Jewish, proposed an amendment to the bill to ban the teaching of various other types of discrimination, remove personal civil liability for teachers and apply the law to both public and private schools, it was voted down along party lines. Hobbs wrote in her veto letter that parents and students can already report allegations of unprofessional conduct from teachers to the State Board of Education. 'I am confident that by using those tools, we can fulfill our moral and legal responsibility to eradicate hate and discrimination in our public school system,' she wrote. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Marco Rubio condemns UK sanctions on Israeli ministers
The US Secretary of State has condemned Sir Keir Starmer for imposing sanctions on two Israeli politicians over their government's war in Gaza. Marco Rubio has criticised Britain and other nations who on Tuesday announced they would break with the US and sanction two ultra-nationalist Israeli cabinet ministers. The UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway accused Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich of 'inciting violence against the Palestinian people'. Mr Ben-Gvir hit back on Tuesday night, comparing Sir Keir to Neville Chamberlain, the former Prime Minister who was accused of effectively appeasing the Nazis. Mr Rubio said the sanctions 'do not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war'. He urged the UK 'not to forget who the real enemy is'. Mr Ben-Gvir, who has called for the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza, responded to Mr Rubio's post on X, saying: 'History will judge the Chamberlains of our time.' America's ambassador to the UK said he fully supported Mr Rubio's comments and added that the sanctions 'impede constructive dialogue'. Under the sanctions, Mr Ben-Gvir, Israel's national security minister, and Mr Smotrich, the finance minister, will be banned from entering the UK. All of their financial assets in Britain will also be frozen. Israel faces growing international criticism over the conduct of its war with Hamas. Last week, the Prime Minister described its actions in Gaza as 'appalling' as aid groups have accused Israeli of blocking food and medicine from entering the territory despite a growing humanitarian crisis. Foreign Office sources told The Telegraph they hoped sanctioning high-profile members of the Israeli government would make clear that the UK was willing to get tough to allow aid into Gaza and to bring about a ceasefire. The sanctions mark a significant break between No 10 and the White House. Donald Trump has lifted sanctions on Israeli settlers and threatened diplomatic action against the International Criminal Court (ICC) as it seeks to investigate Israel for war crimes. The Foreign Office is understood to have informed the US government that the sanctions were coming on Monday night. However, the State Department was not given a chance to object or veto the decision. In a joint statement, the five countries said Mr Ben Gvir and Mr Smotrich 'have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights'. 'These actions are not acceptable. This is why we have taken action now – to hold those responsible to account,' they added. Gideon Saar, Israel's foreign minister, slammed the sanctions as 'outrageous'. He added: 'I discussed it earlier today with Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu, and we will hold a special government meeting early next week to decide on our response to this unacceptable decision.' Mr Smotrich once described all the Arab population of the West Bank as 'Nazis'. Last month, he said Gaza should be 'totally destroyed' and its population evacuated. He also said he would not let a 'grain of wheat' into the territory. David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, said the pair had used 'horrendous extremist language' and that he would 'encourage the Israeli government to disavow and condemn that language'. He has also described the conduct of the Israeli army as 'monstrous' and condemned the actions of 'extremist' settlers in the West Bank. New Zealand's foreign minister insisted the measures were not directed against the Israeli people or government. 'Rather, the travel bans are targeted at two individuals who are using their leadership positions to actively undermine peace and security and remove prospects for a two-state solution,' Winston Peters said. On Tuesday, the US dropped its support for an independent Palestine. Mike Huckabee, America's ambassador to Israel, said a two-state solution was no longer White House policy. He said: 'Unless there are some significant things that happen that change the culture, there's no room for it.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.