Swedish activist Greta Thunberg talks to journalists on Tuesday upon her arrival to Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport in France. She says the activists would continue trying to get aid to Gaza.HUGO MATHY/AFP/Getty Images
Israel deported activist Greta Thunberg on Tuesday, the country’s Foreign Ministry said, a day after the Gaza-bound ship she was on was seized by the Israeli military.
Speaking upon arrival in Paris en route to her home country of Sweden, 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 conditions they faced “are absolutely nothing compared to what people are going through in Palestine and especially Gaza right now,” she said. The trip was meant to protest Israeli restrictions on aid to Gaza’s population of over two million people after 20 months of war, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the group behind the journey.
Activist Greta Thunberg arrived in Paris after being deported from Israel on Tuesday and called for more actions to support aid efforts for Gaza.
The Associated Press
“We were well aware of the risks of this mission,” Ms. Thunberg said. “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.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump called Thunberg “a young angry person” and recommended she take anger management classes.
“I think the world need[s] a lot more young angry women,” Ms. Thunberg said Tuesday in response.
Ms. Thunberg said it appeared she was headed back to Sweden, hadn’t had access to a phone in a few days and wanted a shower. The activists were held separately and some had trouble accessing lawyers, she added.
Asked why she agreed to deportation, she said, “Why would I want to stay in an Israeli prison more than necessary?”
Ms. Thunberg called on supporters to ask their governments to mobilize “to demand not only humanitarian aid being let into Gaza but most importantly an end to the occupation and an end to the systemic oppression and violence that Palestinians are facing on an everyday basis.”
She said recognizing Palestine is “the very, very, very minimum” that governments can do to help.
Ms. Thunberg was one of 12 passengers on the Madleen. Israeli naval forces seized the boat without incident early Monday about 200 kilometres off Gaza.
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The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, along with rights groups, said Israel’s actions in international waters were a violation of international law. Israel rejects that charge, saying such ships intend to breach what it argues is a lawful naval blockade of Gaza.
Israel viewed the ship as a publicity stunt, calling it the “selfie yacht” with a “meagre” amount of aid that amounted to less than a truckload.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said three activists, including Ms. Thunberg, had been deported along with a journalist. It said it had encouraged some of the group to do this so they could speak freely about their experiences.
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Eight other passengers refused deportation and were being held in detention before their case is to be heard by Israeli authorities. Adalah, a legal rights group in Israel representing the activists, said the eight were expected to be brought before a court later Tuesday.
“Their detention is unlawful, politically motivated and a direct violation of international law,” the coalition said in a statement. It called for the remaining passengers to be released without deportation and said their lawyers would demand that they be allowed to complete their journey to Gaza.
Sabine Haddad, a spokeswoman for Israel’s Interior Ministry, said the activists who were being deported Tuesday had waived their right to appear before a judge. Those who did not will face one and will be held for 96 hours before being deported, she said.
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Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent, was also among the passengers on board the Madleen. She has previously been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians. It was not clear whether she was being immediately deported or detained.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Tuesday that one of the detained French activists signed an expulsion order and will leave Israel on Tuesday for France. The other five refused. He said all the activists received consular visits.
Sergio Toribio, a Spanish activist who was deported, slammed Israel’s actions after he arrived in Barcelona.
“It is unforgivable, it is a violation of our rights. It is a pirate attack in international waters,” he told reporters.
A charity vessel aiming to deliver aid and raise awareness of the Gaza crisis was seized by Israeli naval forces at sea on Monday. The boat, whose crew includes climate activist Greta Thunberg, is headed to an Israeli port after failing to breach the long-held naval blockade stopping access to the Gaza Strip.
Reuters