- October 6, 2025
- 7:22 pm
- Middle East
Swedish eco-activist Greta Thunberg is once again at the center of a global scandal.
On October 6, 2025, she was deported from Israel for the second time after attempting to break into the Gaza Strip by sea. Along with her, 79 foreign citizens left the country — from France, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Sweden.
28 Spaniards remain in custody, 21 mission participants have already returned home, and 470 people were temporarily detained and taken to the port of Ashdod.
Activists claim they were on a humanitarian mission. Israel, however, sees this operation as a covert attempt at political pressure.
Flotilla “Sumud”: Mission or Theater?
The flotilla “Sumud” — translated from Arabic as “steadfastness” — included 42 vessels.
The aim of the action was to “break the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza,” imposed to prevent the import of weapons and materials used by Hamas.
Organizers assured that they were carrying symbolic aid: medicines, water, and olive branches. But Israeli military intercepted the vessels in international waters, emphasizing that “no humanitarian mission has the right to violate security boundaries.”
Participants were taken to the port of Ashdod, provided with food and medical assistance. After that, all were deported.
A representative of the IDF stated:
“This is not aid, this is a spectacle under the guise of mercy. Israel will not allow security to be turned into a show.”
From Ecology to Politics
When Greta Thunberg first stood with a sign “School Strike for Climate,” the world perceived her as a symbol of a new generation.
But over a few years, the activist transformed from a climate leader into a figure of geopolitical scale.
Today, every statement she makes becomes a media event.
And this turns any action with her participation into a tool of influence.
Instead of protecting the climate — a fight against Israel.
Instead of a school bench — the deck of a “humanitarian” ship.
Israeli authorities accuse her of deliberately breaking the law.
After her arrest, Thunberg complained of “harsh treatment” and “bedbug bites,” but the Israeli Foreign Ministry responded harshly:
“This is a blatant lie. All conditions met international standards.”
Second Attempt and Scale Growth
The attempt to break through was already the second for Thunberg.
In August 2025, a similar flotilla was stopped in neutral waters. Then she was deported without loud statements.
But the new “Sumud” mission gathered almost 500 people from 20 countries — the largest anti-Israeli action of the last decade.
The Israeli Ministry of Defense stated that over several months more than 170 participants of such operations were deported.
All of them acted under the slogans of “freedom for Gaza,” but in fact used humanitarian rhetoric as a tool of pressure.
Why Not Mariupol?
In the context of this activity, an obvious question arises.
If the goal is to save civilians, why has no one sent a flotilla to occupied Ukrainian Mariupol?
The city, destroyed by Russian troops and occupied since 2022, remains one of the most closed zones in Europe.
Access to medicines, water, and information is still limited there.
Thousands of people have died, tens of thousands have been forcibly deported to Russia.
But no organization, no “peaceful ship” has attempted to reach the shores of the Sea of Azov.
Why? Because it is dangerous there. There are no cameras, live broadcasts, and applause. There you cannot pose against the backdrop of a peace flag.
Theater of Protest Instead of Real Help
Flotillas have long turned into a media performance.
Sails, posters, slogans, professional photographers.
These actions resemble more of a PR tour than a humanitarian mission.
Everything is thought out: hashtags, narrative, visual images.
Every word is calculated for the attention of the Western audience.
But behind this direction, the main meaning is lost — real help to people who truly suffer.
Israeli analysts call this “the new humanitarian industry” — activism turned into a brand.
Greta Thunberg has become its face: from fighting carbon dioxide to political pressure on democratic countries.
Israel: Security Above PR
Israel insists that the blockade of Gaza is not an expression of hostility, but a matter of survival.
Through this maritime corridor, attempts have repeatedly been made to bring weapons for Hamas.
Rockets, drones, explosive components — all this has already been used against the country’s civilians.
In this reality, “humanitarian flotillas” become not helpers, but a potential threat.
Israel cannot afford the luxury of trust.
“Not a single kilogram of explosives will get into Gaza under the guise of flour,” said an IDF representative.
For Jerusalem, the blockade is part of the defense system, not an element of politics.
Selective Empathy of Europe
Modern Europe has learned to choose whom to sympathize with.
- When it comes to Gaza — the streets fill with marches, activists talk about human rights.
- When it comes to Ukraine, Mariupol, or Bucha — there is a pause.
Mariupol does not trend on TikTok.
There is no simple narrative. No “convenient evil” to point a finger at without risk.
This selectivity has become a new form of political cynicism.
Sympathy has become a currency. And it is given only to those who are safe for the conscience.
When Protest Becomes a Show
Every action by Greta Thunberg is a spectacle, carefully planned to the last camera.
But real humanitarian work rarely looks beautiful.
It is without likes, without reposts, without TV cameras.
The breakthrough into Gaza is a demonstration of position.
The breakthrough into Mariupol is a risk.
And this is the difference between PR and courage.
Reality Where Humanism Became a Brand
The flotilla “Sumud” has become a symbol:
- for Israel — a threat;
- for activists — self-affirmation;
- for Europe — another moral test.
But behind all this symbolism remains the question — where is the real humanity?
When children in destroyed Ukrainian cities live without light and water, and activists in the safe waters of the Mediterranean Sea shoot videos about “fighting the blockade,” what is this if not hypocrisy?
Where There Are No Cameras
The world is used to choosing where to be kind.
But true kindness does not require spectators.
Mariupol, Syria, Sudan — these points on the map do not give likes and do not appear in feeds.
Greta sails to Gaza.
And thousands of Ukrainians are still waiting for water, food, and help where there are no journalists.
And this is the main contrast of the 21st century: protest for the picture versus help without witnesses.
Conclusion
The story with Greta Thunberg’s flotilla is not about humanism, but about selective sympathy.
The world loves to talk about freedom as long as it is safe.
But true freedom is to go where it hurts, where there are no likes, and where goodness is not for sale.
Someday, perhaps, flotillas will indeed sail to where people need help, not where cameras are waiting.
And then the word “humanitarian mission” will regain its meaning.
