‘Dragged by hair, forced to kiss Israel flag’: Greta mistreated in detention
ISTANBUL: Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was reportedly subjected to harsh treatment while detained by Israeli authorities following her participation in a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza, according to accounts from fellow activists and an email from the Swedish foreign ministry.
Eyewitnesses aboard the Sumud flotilla described scenes of intimidation that left participants shocked. Turkish activist Ersin Çelik told Anadolu news agency that Thunberg was “dragged by her hair before our eyes, beaten, and forced to kiss the Israeli flag. They did everything imaginable to her as a warning to others.”
Journalist Lorenzo D’Agostino, also on the flotilla, said Thunberg was “wrapped in the Israeli flag and paraded like a trophy,” a display that drew disbelief and anger from those present. Other activists deported from Israel later corroborated the allegations.
According to an email from the Swedish foreign ministry sent to people close to Thunberg, a visiting official reported that the activist was held in a cell infested with bedbugs, received insufficient food and water, and was forced to sit for extended periods on hard surfaces. “She informed of dehydration. She has received insufficient amounts of both water and food. She also stated that she had developed rashes which she suspects were caused by bedbugs. She spoke of harsh treatment and said she had been sitting for long periods on hard surfaces,” the email said.
Two activists, Malaysian national Hazwani Helmi and American citizen Windfield Beaver, told Reuters that they personally witnessed Thunberg’s mistreatment. Helmi described the situation as “a disaster”. They treated us like animals. Greta Thunberg was shoved and forced to wear an Israeli flag,” adding that detainees were denied clean food and water, while their belongings and medicines were confiscated. Italian regional councillor Paolo Romano reported that detainees were forced to kneel face down and beaten if they moved, subjected to both physical and psychological abuse. During a visit to Ashdod port on Thursday night, Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, was filmed referring to the activists as “terrorists” in Hebrew while pointing at a group sitting on the ground. Some activists shouted “Free Palestine.” Ben-Gvir has previously called for activists to be jailed rather than deported, The Guardian reported.
A total of 137 activists were deported and arrived in Istanbul on Saturday, according to Turkish foreign ministry sources. The group included 36 Turkish nationals and others from the US, UAE, Algeria, Morocco, Italy, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Mauritania, Switzerland, Tunisia, and Jordan. Several members of the Italian delegation, including four parliamentarians, returned to Rome on Friday. Lawmaker Arturo Scotto described the situation, saying, “Those acting legally were aboard those boats; those who acted illegally were those who stopped them.” Fellow MP Benedetta Scuderi added that activists were “brutally stopped and taken hostage.”
Israel, however, has rejected all allegations of mistreatment, calling them “complete lies”. A foreign ministry spokesperson told Reuters that all detainees were provided food, water, and access to legal counsel, and that “their legal rights were fully upheld.” In a separate post on X, Israel accused some flotilla members of “deliberately obstructing” deportation procedures, though no evidence was provided.
The flotilla, which set sail in late August, is the latest in a series of activist missions challenging Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza. The blockade, in place since 2007, remains a highly contentious component of the ongoing Israel–Hamas conflict, which erupted after Hamas launched attacks in October 2023.
