Greta Thunberg arrives in Paris after being deported from Israel
Speaking upon arrival at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport, Ms Thunberg called for the release of the other activists who were detained aboard the Freedom Flotilla.
She described a 'quite chaotic and uncertain' situation during the detention.
The Swedish activist said the conditions they faced 'are absolutely nothing compared to what people are going through in Palestine and especially Gaza right now'.
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Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Greta 'mistreated and mocked' by dancing Israeli officials before deportation
French doctor Bapiste Andre was on 'freedom flotilla' with Greta Thunberg - he said the group were subject to 'mockery' when they were intercepted by Israeli officials An activist on the 'freedom flotilla' boat with Greta Thunberg has said the latter was mistreated by Israeli officials. There "were acts of mistreatment" according to Baptiste Andre, who spoke to French media after the group of 12 were brought to the port of Ashdod. Mr Andre, a doctor, said there were 'no acts of physical violence', but that they were subject to sleep deprivation and 'mockery' by Israeli officials. He said this was 'especially' focussed on Ms Thunberg. 'As soon as [ Thunberg ] fell asleep, the immigration services came to wake her up' he claimed, adding that music was turned loud and members of the immigration services 'danced in front of us'. Adding there was some difficulty for the detainees in gaining access to food, water and toilets, Andre said: 'It took three hours to get a piece of bread.' On X, the Israeli foreign ministry said: 'The passengers of the 'Selfie Yacht' arrived at Ben Gurion Airport to depart from Israel and return to their home countries. Those who refuse to sign deportation documents and leave Israel will be brought before a judicial authority.' Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer said Thunberg was party to ' Instagram activism'. Israeli officials have received criticism after calling the group anti-semitic amid their attempts to bring food to people in Gaza. The UN has warned Gaza's population is at risk of famine. Ms Thunberg was one of 12 passengers on the Madleen, a ship carrying aid to Gaza. Israeli naval forces seized the boat without incident early on Monday about 125 miles off of Gaza's coast, according to the coalition, which along with rights groups, said Israel's actions were a violation of international law. Israel rejects that charge because it says such ships intend to breach what it argues is a lawful naval blockade of Gaza. Speaking upon arrival at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport, Ms Thunberg called for the release of the other activists who were detained aboard the Freedom Flotilla. She described a 'quite chaotic and uncertain' situation during the detention. The activist added the conditions they faced 'are absolutely nothing compared to what people are going through in Palestine and especially Gaza right now'. 'We were well aware of the risks of this mission,' Ms Thunberg added. 'The aim was to get to Gaza and to be able to distribute the aid.' She said the activists would continue trying to get aid to Gaza.
NBC News
15 hours ago
- NBC News
Views of the U.S. under Trump dip sharply in many allied countries
Views of the U.S. and confidence in its leader to handle world affairs have taken a dive in more than a dozen countries over the last year, according to a poll from the Pew Research Center released Wednesday and conducted over the first few months of President Donald Trump's second term. These declines are most pronounced among residents in neighboring Mexico and Canada, which have been at the center of high-profile spats with the administration, as well as a handful of NATO countries (like Sweden, Poland and the Netherlands) amid it Russia's war with Ukraine. Public sentiment about the U.S. has gone up in a few countries over the last year, most notably in Israel. But most of the two-dozen countries surveyed saw public opinion about the U.S. dip as Trump began his second term. Overall, the poll shows an international community full of increased skepticism of Trump and his "America First" foreign policies, from his administration's antagonistic relationship with traditional close allies to its focus on tariffs to its friendly posture toward right-wing, populist movements that have been amassing more power in Europe. Yet while the results in many countries are negative, Trump's marks are broadly higher now in these nations than they were during the beginning of his first term eight years ago. Fifteen countries have seen significant drops in their opinion of America over the last year. In Mexico, 61% of respondents had a favorable opinion of the U.S. in 2024, but just 29% feel that way now. In Sweden, which joined NATO in 2024 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine two years prior, a 47% favorable rating of the U.S. last year plummeted to just 19% now, with 79% of Swedish respondents viewing America unfavorably. And in Canada, a 54% favorability mark in 2024 dropped 20 points in 2025, to 34%, amid Trump's repeated threats to make the country America's newest state. On the other end of the spectrum, the share of people in Turkey, Nigeria and Israel who rated the U.S. favorably increased significantly over the last year. When it comes to Trump specifically, a majority of respondents in five countries of the 24 surveyed said they have a lot or some confidence in the president to do the right thing when it comes to world affairs: Hungary, India, Israel, Nigeria and Kenya. Majorities in nine of the 10 European countries tested have either not too much or no confidence in Trump at all, with at least three-quarters of respondents saying so in the Netherlands, France, Spain, Germany and Sweden. Men, younger people and those who view their country's right-wing populist parties favorably are more likely to have more confidence in Trump. For example, 51% of Japanese people between the ages of 18 and 34 have confidence in Trump, according to the poll, while 31% of Japanese people 50 years or older say the same. In the United Kingdom, 45% of men say they have confidence in Trump, compared with 28% of women. Respondents across 13 nations registered a double-digit decline in confidence in the U.S. president on world affairs between 2024 and 2025. While 63% in both Sweden and Germany had confidence in then-President Joe Biden last year, just 15% and 18%, respectively, said they have confidence in Trump. The survey also tested how well respondents felt several different personal characteristics described Trump. At least 60% of adults across 21 of the 24 countries surveyed said the word "arrogant" described Trump well. Majorities in 20 countries said he's "a strong leader," while majorities in 21 countries called him "dangerous." Majorities in three countries (Nigeria, India and Kenya) said Trump was "honest," and majorities in five countries (Greece, Japan, Indonesia, Hungary and Kenya) called him "diplomatic." Compared with his first term, the share of people across most of the surveyed countries who see Trump as a strong leader and qualified has increased. There has also been a dramatic increase in the share of adults who believe America's president is "dangerous" in countries where Pew also tested Biden's first year in office. On confidence in Trump to tackle global economic problems, Trump is underwater in every European country surveyed, though Hungarians are effectively split. The survey was mostly conducted before Trump announced global tariffs on April 2. In Mexico, where the survey was conducted following weeks of changing tariff policies on the country, 83% lack confidence in Trump's economic policies. In Canada, which has faced similar targeting from Trump, 74% lack confidence, and 57% said they have no confidence at all. Majorities in three countries — Kenya (56%) and Nigeria and Israel (62% each) — have confidence in Trump to handle "the conflict between Israel and its neighbors." His numbers among the countries tested are the lowest in Turkey, where 7% are confident in his handling of the issue. Though a majority of Israelis expressed confidence in Trump's ability to handle the ongoing war, the poll found that confidence in Trump among right-wing Israelis is nearly four times higher, at 83%, compared with the 21% of left-wing Israelis who have confidence in Trump on the issue. Adults in most other countries said they were not confident in Trump's ability to handle the conflict. On Trump's handling of the Russia-Ukraine war, majorities in nearly all of the European countries surveyed, with the exception of Greece and Hungary, expressed little or no confidence in Trump. (Adults in Greece were split, and a narrow majority of Hungarians had at least some confidence in Trump to handle that conflict.) In France, Germany, Spain and Sweden, about three-quarters of adults said they had little or no confidence in Trump to handle the war. Pew polled 28,333 adults across 24 countries mostly over the phone or in person (Australia was the only country where people were polled online). The survey was in the field for various times across different countries between Jan. 8 and April 26. Polling in every country except Indonesia began after Trump's inauguration, but was either concluded or close to done by Trump's April 2 announcement of sweeping international tariffs.
Daily Mail
16 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Greta Thunberg 'freedom flotilla' crewmate describes 'mistreatment' he claims she and her colleagues suffered while held by Israel - including bizarre 'dancing'
Greta Thunberg was 'mistreated' by Israeli officials after security forces stormed the 'freedom flotilla' boat she was travelling on and detained the crew, an activist who was on board the Gaza-bound ship has claimed. Baptiste Andre told French media that 'there were acts of mistreatment' when Israeli authorities brought the group to the port of Ashdod to be processed. The French doctor, who was one of the 12 people on board the British-flagged humanitarian ship Madleen, said that there had been 'no acts of physical violence' against the group. However he claimed that members of the group, 'especially Greta', were put through 'sleep deprivation' and experienced 'mockery' from officials. 'As soon as [Thunberg] fell asleep, the immigration services came to wake her up,' he said. He added that music was also 'turned up loud' and that members of the immigration services 'danced in front of us'. Andre also alleged that the group had 'difficulties in accessing water and food' during their more than 24 hours in detention. 'It took three hours to get a piece of bread,' he said, adding that the detainees had difficulty accessing food, water and toilets. Andre has since returned to France after being deported from Israel by plane on Tuesday. Thunberg, who also arrived back in Europe on a deportation flight, told reporters yesterday that 'people were not being treated well' during her detention. 'I was not able to to say goodbye to people and I don't know what's happening. And there were many, many issues,' she said. Pressed for details on her treatment, she described the experience as 'very dehumanising. 'But of course, I have to stress nothing compared to what Palestinians are going through. I would prefer not to go into detail,' she insisted. She went on: 'I do know that there were major issues with people actually getting to talk to lawyers. 'When you look at the state of the world, everything feels meaningless. But unless you try to do everything you can, we lose our hope.' Asked by reporters about a viral picture of her smiling as an Israeli soldier offered her a sandwich when the boat was intercepted, Thunberg branded the gesture a PR stunt. Israel had shared pictures of the crew receiving sandwiches and water from soldiers, and said the crew were 'safe and unharmed'. Thunberg and Andre were among four who agreed to be deported immediately, with lawyers while all of them have been banned from Israel for 100 years, the rights group that legally represents some of them said in a statement. The remaining eight were taken into custody after they refused to leave Israel voluntarily, and brought before a detention review tribunal on Tuesday, rights group Adalah added. The activist group had set off from Catania in Italy on June 1 aboard the Madleen carrying what they called a 'symbolic' amount food and supplies for Gaza, the entire population of which the UN has warned is at risk of famine. Israeli forces intercepted the boat in international waters on Monday, allegedly shadowing the vessel with speedboats and drones before 'quadcopters' surrounded and sprayed the ship with an unidentified 'white irritant substance'. Images showed the deck of the charity vessel splattered with white liquid. Activist Yasmin Acar, among those on board, said it had been deployed by Israel and was affecting her eyes. 'Communications are jammed, and disturbing sounds are being played over the radio,' the coalition wrote on Telegram. Huwaida Arraf, the co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement, told Al Jazeera that crew members had said their eyes were burning from the substance. 'We don't know what that chemical was. Some people reported that their eyes were burning,' they said. The IDF seized the ship and towed it to the port of Ashdod, where it took those on board to be processed before taking four to the airport to be deported. 'The passengers of the 'Selfie Yacht' arrived at Ben Gurion Airport to depart from Israel and return to their home countries,' the Israeli foreign ministry said on X. 'Those who refuse to sign deportation documents and leave Israel will be brought before a judicial authority.' Thunberg landed in Sweden at around 10.30pm Tuesday night after a brief stop in France following her deportation from Israel. She was welcomed at Arlanda Airport in Stockholm by dozens of people waving Palestinian flags, who presented her with flowers and a keffiyeh scarf as they shouted 'free Palestine!' Thunberg yesterday vowed to return to the country despite the restrictions apparently placed on her. Asked in if she was scared when the security forces boarded the Madleen sailboat, Thunberg replied: 'What I'm afraid of is that people are silent during an ongoing genocide.' 'What I feel most is concern for the continued violations of international law and war crimes that Israel is guilty of.' She accused Israel of carrying out a 'systematic genocide' and 'systematic starvation of over two million people' in Gaza. Several rights groups including Amnesty International have accused Israel of genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza but Israel vehemently rejects the term. 'We must act, we must demand that our government acts, and we must act ourselves when our complicit governments do not step up,' Thunberg said. She rose to fame as a schoolgirl activist against climate change and seeks to avoid flying because of its environmental impact, going so far as to cross the Atlantic by sailboat twice. Thunberg vowed that they 'would not stop' trying to help and promised that 'this is not the end.' She told journalists shortly after landing in Paris: 'What is certain is that we will not stop. 'We are going to continue try to do everything we can because that is the promise that we have given to to Palestinians. 'We are going to try every single day in every way that we can and keep trying to demand an end to the atrocities.' Earlier in the day, Thunberg accused Israel of 'kidnapping' her in international waters, a claim she made previously in a dramatic pre-recorded SOS message released shortly after her detention. The activist, who has long eschewed air travel for environment reasons, was photographed on board an aircraft en route to France earlier on Tuesday - a moment that Israel's Foreign Ministry was quick to publicise, posting the image on social media platform X. Prior to her deportation, Defence Minister Israel Katz said he'd instructed IDF officials to show the activists the full, unedited footage of the October 7 attacks as recorded by Hamas terrorist body cameras. 'It is appropriate that the anti-Semitic Greta and her fellow Hamas supporters see exactly who the Hamas terrorist organization they came to support and for whom they work is, what atrocities they committed against women, the elderly, and children, and against whom Israel is fighting to defend itself,' he said. Late on Monday night, he told reporters: 'Greta and her flotilla companions were taken into a room upon their arrival to the screening of the horror film of the October 7 massacre... when they saw what it was about, they refused to continue watching. 'The anti-Semitic flotilla members are turning a blind eye to the truth and have proven once again that they prefer the murderers to the murdered and continue to ignore the atrocities committed by Hamas against Jewish and Israeli women, adults, and children.' Thunberg joined 11 activists in sailing to the Gaza Strip with a 'symbolic' amount of aid Katz and other Israeli officials have come under fire for branding Thunberg and her fellow activists 'anti-Semitic' for wanting to deliver aid to starving Gazans. But Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer said: 'This wasn't humanitarian aid. It's Instagram activism... 'Who's really feeding Gaza and who's really feeding their own ego? Greta was not bringing aid, she was bringing herself.' Meanwhile, the French government revealed that five of the six French citizens detained alongside Thunberg had refused to sign deportation orders, meaning they will now face judicial proceedings. US President Donald Trump did not miss the opportunity to wade in on the controversy. 'I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg. She's a young, angry person... I think she has to go to an anger management class,' he said.
