Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg responded Tuesday afternoon for the first time to her detention and deportation from Israel. "We were kidnapped in international waters," she told reporters at her arrival in Paris, adding: "This is a violation of international rights.” Speaking in the arrivals section of Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport after being deported from Israel, the Swedish activist said she and her team had broken no laws, and called for the immediate release of the activists still in Israel after refusing to sign deportation documents.
“I did not recognize I entered Israel illegally,” she also said. Thunberg described the circumstances of the arrest as “quite chaotic and uncertain” but emphasized that the conditions “were nothing compared to what people are going through in Palestine, especially in Gaza right now.”
Greta Thunberg arrives in Paris
"I was very clear in my testimony that we were kidnapped on international waters and brought against our own will into Israel," she said.
She reiterated that the activists were fully aware of the risks involved in their mission, which aimed “to reach Gaza and successfully deliver aid,” and said they would continue efforts to bring humanitarian assistance to Gaza. She denied that the flotilla was a publicity stunt: “The intention was to provide direct aid—not generate media attention.” She also noted that a previous attempt to send aid via a larger vessel ended after the ship was bombed.
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Greta Thunberg in the arrivals section of Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport after being deported from Israel
(Photo: Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters)
She admitted it was unclear where she would be heading next, telling reporters it could be Sweden.
She laughed off criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, who had described her as an angry person, saying: “Honestly? The world needs more angry young women—especially with everything that’s happening right now.” Trump had commented the previous day from the White House, saying, “Well, she’s a strange person. She’s young and angry. I don’t know if the anger is real, hard to believe, but she’s definitely different. I think she needs anger management training—that’s my main recommendation for her.” Regarding her claim of being kidnapped, he added, “I think Israel has enough problems without having to kidnap Greta Thunberg.”
Early Tuesday morning, just hours after the “flotilla to Gaza” was diverted to Ashdod Port, the activists were taken to Ben-Gurion Airport. Four of them, including Thunberg, signed voluntary departure agreements. Thunberg, who has long opposed air travel due to its environmental impact, boarded an El Al flight to Paris—her first flight in years. Eight others, including European Parliament member Rima Hassan—previously deported from Israel—refused to sign and were sent to the Givon detention facility for legal deportation proceedings.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which organized the mission, stated that all 12 activists “were kidnapped from international waters and forcibly taken to Israel,” calling the treatment of them as illegal entrants “absurd.” The group added that the fight to free the detained activists “must take place alongside the struggle to free more than 10,400 Palestinians imprisoned in Israel—including over 400 children and more than 3,500 held under administrative detention.”
Earlier Tuesday morning, just hours after the “flotilla to Gaza” was diverted to Ashdod Port, the activists were taken to Ben-Gurion Airport. Four of them, including Thunberg, signed a voluntary departure agreement. Thunberg, a long-time opponent of air travel due to its environmental impact, boarded an El Al flight to Paris—the first flight she has taken in years. Eight other activists, including European Parliament member Rima Hassan, who had previously been expelled from Israel, refused to sign and were sent to the Givon detention facility. They will undergo legal proceedings before deportation.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said at a joint press conference with his Zambian counterpart said that “Greta was treated well and fed. Israel acted peacefully. This was a ridiculous gimmick—a persona non grata will not be allowed to return to Israel.” He emphasized that the activists brought “a negligible amount of aid that contributes nothing to Gaza,” and stated that Israel intends to deliver the aid directly.
Passengers on Thunberg’s flight to Paris described tense moments on board. “At first there was shouting—some didn’t want her to board,” one passenger told Ynet. “But it eventually calmed down. The crew was very professional, and upon landing, she was quietly handed over to border police.” Police and dozens of journalists awaited the flight’s arrival at the airport.
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Maya, another passenger, told Ynet: “Before takeoff, three police officers and someone from the immigration authority boarded the plane. Some passengers stood up and began filming, and then the officers told everyone to sit down and stop recording. A few were angry and walked around the plane, and some cursed Greta.”
Thunberg’s decision to fly was particularly notable given her years-long campaign against air travel pollution. In 2019, Sweden reported a 4% drop in air travel demand and a rise in train usage due to her activism. Last year, the Swedish government distanced itself from her “flight shaming” campaign and announced tens of millions of dollars in support for the aviation industry as it recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Interior Minister Moshe Arbel said Tuesday morning: “The State of Israel will not allow its sovereignty to be undermined through protest flotilla provocations. I thank the staff of the Population and Immigration Authority for their swift, professional and responsible response in protecting the country’s security and public order. I have instructed that all 12 flotilla participants be denied entry into Israel in accordance with the law and returned to their countries of origin.”
The Foreign Ministry confirmed the anti-Israel activists’ transfer to Ben-Gurion Airport and said they had arrived “to depart from Israel and return to their homes.” The ministry noted that some would leave within hours, while those refusing to sign deportation papers “will undergo legal proceedings under Israeli law to authorize their removal.” Israeli officials hope that consular representatives, who met with the detainees at the airport, will persuade them to comply.