Climate activist Greta Thunberg’s new pro-Palestinian statements on Sunday in the Netherlands sparked many negative reactions in Germany. The young Swede is criticized for positions deemed anti-Israeli, or even anti-Semitic. Even Greta Thunberg’s traditional allies criticized her.
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“ Persona non Greta »the play on words on the front page of everyday life Tagszeitung this Tuesday well sums up the negative reactions aroused by the positions taken by Greta Thunberg. The newspaper Tagesspiegel title, him, on “ the fall of a climate icon », reports our correspondent in Berlin, Pascal Thibaut.
The activist called on Sunday November 12, 2023 for a “ ceasefire » in the Middle East during a march for the environment which brought together some 70,000 participants in Amsterdam to demand more attention from the authorities to climate change, 10 days before the holding of early elections in The Netherlands.
“ As a climate justice movement, we must listen to the voices of those who are oppressed and those fighting for freedom and justice “, she said in front of the crowd. She was interrupted by a man who tried to snatch the microphone from her, claiming to have come for an ecological demonstration – this one was organized by a coalition bringing together Extinction Rebellion, Fridays for Future, Oxfam and Greenpeace – and not for “ his political point of view “.
Greta Thunberg qualified “ anti-Semitic »
In Germany, where Israel’s security is considered “ reason of state » Due to the country’s historical responsibility in the Shoah, this episode caused a stir. After these statements, the German branch of Fridays For Future, the movement launched by the young Swede, once again distanced itself from its muse. Its officials condemned Hamas’s attacks on Israel and said anti-Semitism had no place within the organization.
The co-president of the Green Party estimated that Greta Thunberg was discrediting the pro-climate movement with her positions. “ We could almost say that it makes victims into executioners and calls into question the existence of Israel », Added Ricarda Lang. The general secretary of the Bavarian Social Christians called Greta Thunberg “ anti-Semitic », accusing him of supporting Hamas. Politician and president of the German-Israeli Society Volker Beck wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “ From now on, in the service of hatred against Israel “.
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