Trump: Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg
Israel has 'enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg', Donald Trump said after the aid flotilla she was travelling to Gaza on was seized.
The US president described the Swedish activist as an 'angry young person' after her attempt to break the Gaza blockade was thwarted by the Israeli navy.
'She's a strange person. She's a young, angry person. I don't know if it's real anger. It's hard to believe, actually, but I saw what happened,' he said.
'She's certainly different... anger management, I think she has to go to an anger management class.'
Credit: WhiteHouse/X
Israeli naval forces boarded and seized a charity vessel carrying Thunberg on Monday.
The British-flagged yacht, Madleen, which is operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, had aimed to deliver a symbolic amount of aid to Gaza and raise international awareness of the humanitarian crisis there.
'If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by Israeli occupational forces or forces that support Israel,' Ms Thunberg, 22, said in a video released by the FCC, filmed before the vessel was captured.
'I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible.'
Freedom Flotilla Coalition
Mr Trump dismissed Ms Thunberg's assertion that she had been kidnapped, saying: 'I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg.'
This was not the first time Ms Thunberg and the US president have crossed swords.
Five years ago, Ms Thunberg displayed her contempt for Mr Trump when, aged only 16, she gave the US president a 'death stare' as he arrived at the United Nations.
Ms Thunberg's withering glare, which came ahead of her addressing the UN on climate change, went viral.
In February, JD Vance, the US vice-president, took a dig at Ms Thunberg when addressing the Munich Security Conference as he defended the role of Elon Musk in the Trump administration.
'Trust me, I say this with all humour, if American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg's scolding, you guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk.'
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