Israeli forces halt Gaza-bound aid boat and detain Greta Thunberg and other activists

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By YESICA FISCH
Updated 10:01 PM CDT, June 8, 2025

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli forces stopped a Gaza-bound aid boat and detained Greta Thunberg and other activists who were on board early Monday, enforcing a longstanding blockade of the Palestinian territory that has been tightened during the war with Hamas.

The activists had set out to protest Israel’s ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which is among the deadliest and most destructive since World War II, and its restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid, both of which have put the territory of some 2 million Palestinians at risk of famine.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which had organized the voyage, said the activists were “kidnapped by Israeli forces” while trying to deliver desperately needed aid to the territory.

“The ship was unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted, and its life-saving cargo—including baby formula, food and medical supplies—confiscated,” it said in a statement.



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/mideast-wars-gaza-flotilla-greta-thunberg-b64e897fb37ee374e4494381304ff9be

[Richard D]

1. Selfie yacht!

🚨 ISRAELI NAVY INTERCEPTS PRO-HAMAS ACTIVIST BOAT ‘MADLEEN’, TOWS VESSEL TO ASHDOD AND ORDERS DEPORTATION OF PASSENGERS AFTER FAILED MEDIA STUNT

The Israeli Navy boarded the activist vessel Madleen earlier today after it attempted to reach Gaza in support of Hamas. The boat, carrying pro-Hamas activists including Swedish climate figure Greta Thunberg, was intercepted without resistance and is now being towed to Ashdod Port. All passengers are unharmed and were provided with water and sandwiches. They will be deported following security procedures.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry described the vessel as a “selfie yacht” used by so-called “celebrities” for a media stunt. The ministry criticized the voyage as a publicity-seeking provocation, noting that the aid on board amounted to less than a single truckload and claiming that much of it was consumed by the passengers. In contrast, over 1,200 aid trucks have entered Gaza from Israel in the past two weeks, and nearly 11 million meals have been distributed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed that the unedited footage of the October 7 Simchat Torah massacre be shown to the activists on board to confront them with the atrocities committed by Hamas, whom their actions indirectly support. A Foreign Ministry statement emphasized, “There are ways to deliver aid to Gaza — they do not involve Instagram selfies.” The remaining aid from the boat will be rerouted through official humanitarian channels. As the ministry concluded, “The show is over.”


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[claudette]

2. More "self-defense"?

What a joke. Murderers

[Beastly Boy]

7. Greta Thunberg Detained, Ordered to Be Shown Oct. 7 Footage After Gaza-Bound Flotilla Seized

The yacht Madleen, operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was stopped en route from Sicily to Gaza and redirected to Israel. The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that the British-flagged vessel was “safely making its way” to Ashdod port, and released images of the activists being offered sandwiches and water.

Thunberg had joined a dozen international campaigners attempting to challenge Israel’s naval blockade on Gaza. Among them was French MEP Rima Hassan, who was banned from entering Israel over her outspoken criticism of its policies.

Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on X Monday that he had ordered the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to show the intercepted group “the atrocities committed against women, the elderly, and children,” referring to Hamas’s cross-border attack that killed over 1,200 Israelis and triggered the ongoing war.

“Antisemitic Greta and her Hamas-supporting friends should see exactly what the Hamas terrorist organization – which they came to support and act on behalf of – truly is,” the minister said.

https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/greta-thunberg-detained-ordered-to-be-shown-oct-7-footage-after-gaza-bound-flotilla-seized/

Oh, the cruelty! Oh, the martyrs!

[Exp]

13. 8 Recs to 1 at this time. Whose side are you on?

[Beastly Boy]

16. You've got to be kidding.

Is this a friggin popularity contest to you?

[Exp]

20. This is a matter of right and wrong. Too bad you can't see that. Some people are blinded by hate.

[Beastly Boy]

24. So why turn it int o a popularity contest?

Counting recs is by definition of a popularity contest. It doesn't address right or wrong.

[Exp]

25. It proves that your ideas are not popular by 8 fold.

[Beastly Boy]

28. There is a hell of difference between popular and right.

Last edited Mon Jun 9, 2025, 04:29 PM - Edit history (1)

Sorry you can't get past it.

[Exp]

29. Hmm, then you think that the majority of people responding to your post are wrong. You are very enlightened.

[Beastly Boy]

33. Don't put words into my mouth.

Frankly, I don't care how many people think I am wrong. But recs don't reflect accuracy, they reflect popularity.

And I excused myself from pursuing the Miss Congeniality title long ago.

[Cha]

31. Yeah, Fucking Traitor in the WH is so called "popular"

Popularity isn't always what it's cracked up to be.

Mahlo for your posts, Beastly Boy

[AloeVera]

80. Agree.

Popularity isn't always what it's cracked up to be. If it were, the Gaza war would have been ended long ago. As the great majoriry of the world and even the US, but especially Democrats, oppose it. Makes sense - who in their right mind and with respect for law and human rights can support such an obviously planmed ethnic cleansing operation disguised as a war?The unneccessary suffering and cruelty inflicted, or watch the deliberate starvation, immolation and mutilation of children.

The other day there was a protest attended by 300,000 people in Italy - the equivalent of almost a 2 million march in the U.S. We didn't hear much about it. But it didn't matter to the far-right government.

So much for the power of the people, eh?

[sheshe2]

36. You should take a peek at this thread...

Democracy Hypocrisy Now! They were KIDNAPPED!!! It was a hoot.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/132149959

[Beastly Boy]

39. Kidnapped, fed sandwiches and sent home within hours.

Not even spanked and told to never do stupid shit again.

Not even time enough to record themselves calling on citizens of countries around the world to push for the activists' release.

[sheshe2]

46. It is almost as if it was a staged event.

Oh, wait...it was! The academy award goes to to Greta for best actress in a starring role!

[vanlassie]

53. I'm not clear. Are you giving an opinion about this

detail in which Greta Thunberg is “Ordered” to watch Oct 7 Footage?” Are you making light of this Israeli “Order?”

[Richard D]

57. Once they realized...

... They would be getting more truth than they could handle, they refused to watch more.

My guess is they didn't last 30 seconds. Their world view could not handle it.

Delicate little snowflakes.

[vanlassie]

62. She is a child. A brave child.

Leading the way for her generation to be involved. Very insulting and disrespectful. Like rubbing a puppy’s nose in poop. Sorry you think it’s… acceptable behavior. You are what you condone.

[EX500rider]

63. She used to be a child, she is currently 22yo nt

[Richard D]

66. Were she brave...

... She and her crew would have watched the video.

[brush]

76. Seriously? How about the truth of hundreds of days of atrocities, air strikes, starvation and deaths...

of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza that way outweighing the atrocity of the one day of Oct. 7.

I mean really, there are hundreds of Palestinian bodies still buried in the ruble and destruction that can't be recovered from fear of more warmonger Netanyahu's air strikes. And btw, war criminal Netanyahu's travel routes have to be carefully planned to not violated the air space of opposition nations in case there's a plane malfunction that requires landing, as there will be a subsequent arrest...then straight to the war crimes tribunal at the Hague.

Israel can't possibly be proud of that PM and his cabal. It needs to kick his corrupt ass to the curb and then try him for the crimes he's committed in Israel itself.

God, he's criming all over the place but let's pretend we don't know that about war criminal Netanyayu and what he's done in Gaza and Israel.

[Exp]

12. This.

[BidenRocks]

3. This is a third rail topic.

The wrong response is doom.
I'll pass.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. This apparently started while the boat was in international waters

Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian territories, tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the yacht ran into three incidents on its way to Gaza.

Albanese says she was in contact with the vessel during its journey, and says it was scheduled to reach Gaza at some point today.

But communications were jammed when the yacht still in international waters, she says.

"First they were surrounded by speedboats," she says. "This was the first time I heard their stress."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/clyg5x15n3zt?post=asset%3A7efacf03-5831-4632-8e36-943a227ea4e0#post

Among the crew are Swedish climate campaigner Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a French member of the European parliament.

“The crew of the Freedom Flotilla was arrested by the Israeli army in international waters around 2am,” Hassan posted on X. A photograph showed the crew seated on the boat, all wearing lifejackets, with their hands in the air.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/09/gaza-aid-boat-madleen-israel-greta-thunberg-freedom-flotilla-coalition

[Beastly Boy]

8. According to who?

Oh, Greta Thunberg. She also claimed she was kidnapped, in a message that was pre-recorded even before she posed for the camera wearing a life jacket.

Activists pre-recorded videos in case yacht was intercepted

Those onboard the Madleen had pre-recorded videos in the event they did not make it to Gaza.

All of the videos follow a similar script.

In her message, climate activist Greta Thunberg said if people could see the video it meant that she had been "intercepted and kidnapped" by "forces that support Israel".

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/clyg5x15n3zt?post=asset%3A7efacf03-5831-4632-8e36-943a227ea4e0

A totally factual, reliable and unbiased source. And the only one making up these claims.

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. According to the UN special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian territories

as I said. Also according to the tracking site for the boat: https://freedomflotilla.org/ffc-tracker/ (stopped about 200km west of Gaza, roughly north of the Suez Canal).

[Beastly Boy]

14. "But communications were jammed when the yacht still in international waters, she says."

Nothing about boarding the ship, according to Francesca Albanese, the notorious overtly antisemitic UN special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian territories.

And the tracking cite for the boat doesn't indicate the location of boarding. It shows its location north of Egypt as of 10:19 today. Obviously inaccurate - we all know it was taken to Ashdod, Israel hours earlier.

So other than Greta's pre-recorded message, there is no confirmation. Duly noted.

[muriel_volestrangler]

17. It shows the last location, before the boarding

The timing is clear - it last moved about midnight UK time as I see it on that site (you see "10:19", which is EDT). Which is 2:00 local time, roughly the time they reported they were stopped by the Israeli military.

Unsurprisingly, someone has switched off the tracker (which itself is not a problem) - it's the kidnapping in international waters that has, for instance, Amnesty International saying this "flouts international law".

[Beastly Boy]

21. According to whom?

Looking at the site right now, it shows current time of 10:58 EDT, and the location of the tracked vessel unchanged since 10:12, the time of my last post. Both times correspond to roughly 2:00 to 3:00 PM local time, way after the vessel was boarded and taken to Ashdod.

You are welcome to speculate about the nefarious reasons for this, but this is no evidence to support your claims.

[muriel_volestrangler]

22. Go to the site, and reset the time slider to about 16 hours before now

You'll see that what I said was accurate - movement up till about midnight my time (GMT+1), then it's stationary. So it's clear the last movement was around then. So - "according to everyone".

By the way, 10:58 EDT is 1758 local time (both Cairo and Gaza) (GMT+3, compared to GMT-4).

[Beastly Boy]

32. I did just that, and let me count the ways you are wrong.

First, the definition:

International Waters is a term used to refer to waters that do not belong to any nation. International waters are formed when a water body transcends international boundaries, hence assigning no superiority to any state territorial boundary.

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-does-the-term-international-waters-mean.html

Now, the boundaries: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_waters#/media/File:Maritime_Zones_under_International_Law.png

Territorial waters are informally an area of water where a sovereign state has jurisdiction, including internal waters, the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone, and potentially the extended continental shelf (these components are sometimes collectively called the maritime zones[1]). In a narrower sense, the term is often used as a synonym for the territorial sea.[2]

Vessels have different rights and duties when passing through each area defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), one of the most ratified treaties. States cannot exercise their jurisdiction in waters beyond the exclusive economic zone, which are known as the high seas.[3]

The selfie flotilla didn't have permission to enter Israel's exclusive economic zone.

The "UK-flagged vessel Madleen departed from Catania, Sicily on 1 June 2025 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_2025_Gaza_Freedom_Flotilla0As per surveillance camera onboard (https://www.bbc.com/news/live/clyg5x15n3zt), the ship was intercepted at 2:02 am local time. The tracker you linked to showed no movement starting at 20:40 EDT, which is about 3:40 am local time. The ship was moving for an hour and a half after it was boarded? This doesn't make sense. No matter how you look at it, the two data points do not match.

Placing the last location shown on the tracker, already suspect, roughly 120 miles from Gaza also places it less than 50 miles away from Israel's exclusive economic zone and squarely within Egypt's exclusive economic zone. In no event does it place the ship in international waters, and, given the already evident propensity for error by the tracker of your choice, makes their location plausibly within Israel's domain. It is not clear whether the selfie flotilla had Egypt's permission to travel through their economic zone, but Egypt is not commenting on it. I wonder why.

So what is it exactly that makes your statements accurate "according to everybody"?

[muriel_volestrangler]

73. Last movement was around 2350 BST, which is 0150 local time, or 1850 EDT

The dot doesn't make it easy, since if you "move back in time", it doesn't move with the head of the line at once - you have to approach going forward in time. But there is no movement after 0200 local time.

So the last location is not "suspect"; everyone agrees on it. A little bit west of north of Port Said. Yes, it's in Egypt's exclusive economic zone. If you want to use Wikipedia, '"International waters" is not a defined term in international law. It is an informal term, which sometimes refers to waters beyond the "territorial sea" of any country' - which, from the Wikipedia diagram you link, means beyond 12 miles from the coast, as in this case. Or The UK Parliament: "All waters beyond the territorial seas are informally known as ‘international waters’, although this is not a defined term in UNCLOS. ‘International waters’ is a broader term than ‘the high seas’, as it includes contiguous zones and EEZs."

In no way is that position "plausibly within Israel's domain". You're not reading the site well, that's all. Israel does not claim the boat had entered its EEZ.

You don't need permission to travel through an EEZ, so there's nothing that can be read into Egypt not commenting.

The EEZ is an area beyond and adjacent to a coastal State’s territorial sea to a limit of 200 nautical miles from the baseline. Within this zone, the coastal State may exercise sovereign rights over exploration, exploitation, conservation, and management of natural resources and other economic activities, such as the production of wind or tidal power. All States, whether coastal or land-locked, enjoy the right of navigation and overflight and the laying of submarine cables and pipelines within any EEZ. The coastal State alone, however, has the right to construct and operate artificial islands and other structural installations with accompanying 500 meter safety zones. Within the EEZ, the coastal State is primarily responsible for the conservation of living resources. The coastal State has the right to regulate both marine scientific research and pollution in the EEZ. It also has legislative and enforcement competence within its EEZ to deal with the dumping of waste from vessels and pollution from seabed activities.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/exclusive-economic-zone

[AloeVera]

5. Israel has the right to defend itself from baby food and diapers.

N/T

[Beastly Boy]

6. Mission accomplished.

Lots of shit stirred, much publicity gained, Francesca Albanese got to Jew hate again and Greta gets to wear a keffiyeh.

Not a single Gazan fed.

What better outcomes could one expect from a humanitarian mission?

[Exp]

11. It was halted by the Fuckers. That is why food and aid did not get through.

[Beastly Boy]

15. It was never intended to get through. The whole enterprise was meant to be "symbolic" from the beginning

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition says the ship is carrying a symbolic quantity of aid, including rice and baby formula. Israel says the boat includes "less than a single truckload of aid."

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/clyg5x15n3zt?page=2

Everyone knew they would be stopped. It was a publicity stunt, from start to finish. The selfie flotilla.

[Exp]

18. It wasn't a freighter! Still had rice and formula aboard. So why stop the boat then?

IDF = ISRAELI DUMB FUCKS

[Beastly Boy]

23. According to the organizers, it was a a publicity stunt, not a bona fide delivery of aid.

It was "symbolic".

I once symbolically adopted an elephant online. Cost me 16 bucks. I symbolically fed the animal, symbolically cared for it, symbolically picked up his shit. I had no fucking clue where my sixteen bucks ended up, what actually happened to that animal, nor was I expected to give a shit.

But it made me feel so good about myself, never mind the animal! Oh, and I got to wear a t-shirt telling everyone what a wonderful person I am.

But after a while, the ego trip lost its initial appeal. Even my self-congratulatory t-shirt didn't solicit the praises I expected.

[AloeVera]

42. Enough to save more than a few children.

Does that matter? Enter into the equation at all?

It was symbolic to the extent that it obviously could not feed all of Gaza. Only Israel has the power to make that happen yet it is consciously withholding food from at least half the population.

That these activists bring awareness to Israel's dark deeds is what its supporters can't abide.

You would think that the stories and images of these unfortunate children would make a small dent in their consciousness but....no. The denial and smearing go on while the babies go on starving.

[Beastly Boy]

45. Enough to symbolically feed a few children. Maybe.

I once symbolically adopted an elephant online. Cost me 16 bucks. I symbolically fed the animal, symbolically cared for it, symbolically picked up his shit. I had no fucking clue where my sixteen bucks ended up, what actually happened to that animal, nor was I expected to give a shit.

But it made me feel so good about myself, never mind the animal! Oh, and I got to wear a t-shirt telling everyone what a wonderful person I am.

But after a while, the ego trip lost its initial appeal. Even my self-congratulatory keffiyeh... I mean t-shirt... didn't solicit the praises I expected.

[AloeVera]

47. I fear you will never get it.

It's pointless talking to you.

[Beastly Boy]

52. No, I will not. I will never get the hypocrisy of using starving children for no other purpose than to boost egos.

In the end, the selfie flotilla didn't feed a single child in Gaza. It wasn't expected to, it wasn't intended to, it wasn't designed to.

They were seeking confrontation, and that's the only thing they planned for.They never intended to deliver it.

They followed the script. They performed for the cameras. They overacted. The aid was their prop. The sea was their stage of choice.

[Doodley]

65. It helped bring more attention to the plight of the people of Gaza who need help. Do you think that is a bad thing?

[Beastly Boy]

72. I think helping bring more attention to the plight of the people of Gaza who need help is good.

Detracting that attention in order to focus it on a stunt that never had a chance of helping a single Gazan is a bad thing.

As a consequence of this bad thing, the selfie flotilla and its celebrities gets all of our attention. And not a single Gazan got help from them. Not one.

[BuddhaGirl]

79. The utter lack of compassion

and insane levels of rationalization are just unbelievable, no?

It truly boggles the mind.

[AloeVera]

81. Such is the power of indoctrination and zealous adherence to ideology.

With a little bit of conscience-salving thrown in.

I swear if Rosa Parks had been on the side of Palestinians, but protesting for civil rights as she did, they would be accusing her of pulling a publicity stunt with the seat as her prop and her stage being the bus. Useless symbolism, they would call it. Makes me wonder if they understand the usefulness of symbolism in protest, for mobilization and building solidarity.

You know what, they likely do - just as Israel does. Hence the attacks on Greta - out in full force now.

[BuddhaGirl]

88. Well said

Things will not change until such mindsets do

[sheshe2]

48. Reuters:

JERUSALEM/ASHDOD June 9 (Reuters) - Israeli naval forces boarded and seized a charity vessel carrying Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, which had tried to break the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip on Monday.

The British-flagged yacht, Madleen, which is operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, had aimed to deliver a symbolic amount of aid to Gaza later on Monday and raise international awareness of the humanitarian crisis there.

snip



The yacht is carrying a small shipment of humanitarian aid, including rice and baby formula. The Foreign Ministry said it would be taken to Gaza.

"The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the 'celebrities' will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels," it wrote.

The Swedish foreign ministry said it was in contact with Israeli authorities.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/freedom-flotilla-coalition-says-alarm-sounded-its-gaza-bound-ship-2025-06-08/

.................................

It was a small "symbolic" amount of food and much of it was eaten before it arrived after 8 days at sea. The article states there was only a tiny amount of food left. This was not a ship of food, it was a publicity stunt, right down to the pre-recorded message Greta made. Shame on her.

[Exp]

51. Shame on Greta?? WTF ??? Have you observed the last two years???

[sheshe2]

56. Yes, shame on her for self promoting.

It was all preplanned and prerecorded.

There was no ship of food that you yourself claimed was denied to Gaza when the ship was stopped. What was left is going to be distributed.

I have observed a lot in the last two years. There has been a lot going on in the world the last few years and right now our Democracy is at stake, The National Guard is in CA and shooting reporters. TSF just called in the Marines. We have a 'resident that is inciting violence and wants the United States armed forces to put down (kill) CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES! A man who took an oath of office to keep us safe wants us dead.

So, sorry Greta's stunt just isn't on a list of my priorities right now.

And... back at ya.

Ta

[Exp]

60. Hmmm, ya know, I don't think she murdered any kids or is involved in a genocide operation.. hmmm

[sheshe2]

61. Is that suppose to mean something in response to my post?

[muriel_volestrangler]

74. You said you has observed a lot in 2 years. Surely you observed over 50,000 Palestinians killed

by the Israeli government.

Thunberg, the MEP Rima Hassan and the others are publicizing the blockade of food that Israel has imposed on Gaza, causing hunger, malnutrition and incipient famine. It's a protest.

Are you really against protests now? I'd have thought with your observations of the US, you'd realise that protests against evil governments are a good thing.

[AloeVera]

78. It was about a truckload, according to other Israeli sources.

Enough to feed about 20,000 people according to Israel's low-standard near-starvation diet of 100 trucks a day average throughout the war. If that. And a lot more than the zero trucks they got for almost 3 months.

So sad to see you parroting Katz's cruel and demeaning rhetoric. "Much of it was eaten..." Even worse than what he said.

Do you think the crew ate nearly a truckload of baby formula, flour and rice? Honestly, where is the critical thinking of those willing to swallow such malicious and mean-spirited BS aimed at anyone bringing light to the horror that is Gaza?

Babies are literally starving. Children with hollow old-man eyes and emaciated, diseased bodies. These people have been broken, body mind and soul. Abandoned. Alone. Hopeless. As planned. Worse to come, if that's possible. I can't for the life of me understand why our governments don't step in and save those people. It's because they don't - they cower and quibble and so are complicit- that we have the quixotic, "symbolic" attempts like this to wake more people up to push their governments to finally do the right thing.

I am very sad to see the comments here. They are all missing the point which should be easy to see if you care about human rights and equal value of all lives.

Just stop the starvation. Let the 6,000 trucks in - enough to feed for two months! - of the UN and real humanitarian agencies that are WAITING at the border but not let in. Only our governments can make that happen but they are still complicit.

That is Greta's point.

[AloeVera]

83. Indeed. We're talking about the genocide and ethnic cleansing aren't we?

The starvation and killing.

And pro- Israel folk are out in force.

As if they recognize the threat Greta and her "useless symbolism" represent.

As I'm sure the racist forces were out against Rosa Parks and the Greensboro Four for their "useless, staged, overacted symbolism". I mean the Four never got their lunch and Rosa was still legally relegated to the back of the bus the next day.

"Useless" symbolism seems to be quite a threat because all oppressors and agressors know it's effective and hence dangerous.

Greta did good.

[Beastly Boy]

84. We are takling about Greta plastered all over the news media.

That was the mission and it was accomplished. Kind of straight forward, isn't it?

What, did you expect it to be about delivering aid to Gaza?

But do deflect. I will get over the shock.

[AloeVera]

85. That's unintentionally funny. In light of what I said.

I wish you well with your shock recovery.

Greta did great.

One last point. Greta is autistic, so she would abhor the limelight for her own self. It would be very difficult for her to even be in the public eye. Yet she claims it is her autism that has given her the passion and focus for her causes in spite of her discomfort. Autists are very justice and fairness focused. They abhor lies and manipulation.

So it's funny in an absurd and sad way how she is being demonized and smeared, accused of being the exact type of person it is actually impossible for her to be.

[Beastly Boy]

86. The funny part was totally intentional.

Especially in light of your suggestion that Greta would abhor the limelight for her own self.

She has been abhorring the limelight for quite a while, and she is still at it.

I don't know how accurate your diagnosis is, but it certainly doesn't affect her pursuit of limelight.

Let me venture a wild guess: you are not a psychiatrist.

[AloeVera]

87. Not sure you understand the concept of standing up for your beliefs, even at personal cost.

Yes, autistics are like a dog with a bone when it comes to their focus on what others may consider unimportant. Minor things like justice, human rights, fairness, babies starving...you know.

You should first do your research on a person you are about to smear. The internet is a great tool. Would save you some embarrassment later. Just a friendly suggestion....

Bye for now.

[Beastly Boy]

90. It is ironic to the extreme to bring up personal cost in the context of a publicity stunt.

And when I see a publicity stunt, I call it, regardless of who it benefits. An extra fifteen minutes of fame is not much of personal cost.

I have no objection to what Greta is, I object to what she does. And that has to do with my own beliefs and the personal costs for me and my family attached to whether I stand up to them or not. So don't lecture me on the subject.

And you might want to reconsider comparing autistics to dogs. Of all the available analogies, your choice is tone deaf at best.

[AloeVera]

94. Nice of you not to object to autistics.

And you questioned me on my "diagnosis" of Greta before pivoting to having not objected to something you didn't even know about. Nice "work" as usual.

And you still don't understand a thing about autistics. You should educate yourself before smearing one - including me.

[Beastly Boy]

95. Why would I object to autistics? And why are you presuming I know nothing about autism?

For one, I know enough about autistics to not compare them to dogs. I also know the difference between autism and the Asperger syndrome, which is the condition Greta was diagnosed with. Yeah, the little things that give me grounds to question you on your "diagnosis".

And why would you find it strange for me to have no objections to a person I know nothing about? Please tell me how not objecting to a person amounts to smearing them. Would you make ridiculous comments about people you don't know?... Oh wait, never mind.

[AloeVera]

96. Aspergers was eliminated as a separate condition years ago.

It is now Level 1 autism.

You keep smearing me by saying I compared autistics to dogs. How absolutely dishonest and ridiculous. You know what I said. An analogy of their unflagging, persistent and stubborn devotion to justice, fairness and truth even at a personal cost.

Just when I think the bottom has been reached...you never fail to reveal new depths.

[Beastly Boy]

97. It was not eliminated. It was included in the spectrum.

More accurately, several related conditions were included in a single spectrum. It is still colloquially referred to as Asperger, even among medical professionals.

Ok, I will not smear you, I will quote you instead: "Yes, autistics are like a dog with a bone when it comes to their focus on what others may consider unimportant."

You know what you said. You had choices and analogies that did not include comparisons to dogs. You picked the one that did. I suggested that you might want to reconsider comparing autistics to dogs. Tone deaf, I said. Is this what counts as a smear?

Save your righteous indignation for when I begin comparing dogs to cats. Now that would be the bottom. and a dishonest ridiculous smear. I just don't know against whom. Probably both parties would vociferously object to such indignity.

[Exp]

10. FUCKERS!! The citizens of the U.S. must demand that we STOP supporting the IDF! This is and has always been

GENOCIDE. Never forget!

[Beastly Boy]

19. Setting all comments regarding IDF's carnal dexterity aside,

what does this have to do with the selfie flotilla?

[Rob H.]

26. It's long past time for economic sanctions and an arms embargo

It's what we do to other terrorist states, after all.

[LexVegas]

27. Hamas supported propaganda photo op. nt

[iemanja]

40. If Israel didn't refuse reporters access

We could have other verified photos and information, but instead Israel is determined to keep the truth from getting out. Knowing full well that Israel does deny the press access, Netanyahu’s supporters invoke the Hamas card, in order to ensure all news is obfuscated.

Israel has denied multiple human rights groups access to deliver aid. This case is no different and part of Israel’s efforts to starve Gazans to death. That is the truth.

[EX500rider]

30. "which is among the deadliest and most destructive since World War II" I doubt it makes the top 10

Just a partial list:

[Doodley]

67. I'm sorry, but I'm not following the point you are trying to make.

[EX500rider]

71. That was a quote from the article

"The activists had set out to protest Israel’s ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip, which is among the deadliest and most destructive since World War II"

Not even close to true doesn't even make the top 10, I doubt it even makes the top 20

[AloeVera]

89. Wrong. Gaza is worse than the previous record-holder, the Second Congo War.

It lasted 5 years and killed 3% of the population - mostly civilians killed in the fighting or died of disease or malnutrition during or afterwards.

Gaza is already around 3% killed, though likely even higher - in less than two years. We don't yet know how many have or will die of malnutrition and disease. With clean water banned, no medicines and food scarce it will be horrendous.

Facts matter. Palestinian lives should too.

On edit:
Pardon me. Around 6% of Congo's then- population (less than half of today's, which I failed to take into account). However it is still true that Gaza is the deadliest now, given the much shorter time-frame. It's horrible no matter how you crunch numbers or compare, which should not be the focus in any case.

[EX500rider]

91. Wrong If a Pacific Island with 2 people on it has one killed that is not worse then the estimated 5 million in the Congo

Here's the top 10, Gaza comes nowhere close
(notice the top 9 have MILLIONS dead)


As to "most destructive", places like Grozny & Fallujah looked much the same, and during the Vietnam War, the United States dropped an estimated 7.5 million tons of bombs on Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. This makes it one of the most heavily bombed countries in history.

[AloeVera]

92. Pls see my edit just now.

[AloeVera]

93. The 5 million comes from the follow-on deaths from disease and malnutrition.

Still going on... One reason wars are horrible. We will see the follow-ons shortly in Gaza. Despicable.

Those were individual cities, not the entire country. Only Grozny was comparable but Gaza has surpassed even that horror-show now. It is total destruction in Gaza. Whatever is left, Israel has already said it will be destroyed. Levelled. I'm sure you know why. Those settlers don't want to live in rubble.

Sort of like what was done to Palestinian villages and orchards in 1948.

I'm sorry but your comparisons and justifications don't hold up to either history or the basics of morality.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

34. It breaks my heart

Starving babies should not be political.

Also, if it was just a publicity stunt, then why stop them and give them more publicity?

So sick of the self serving bullshit spin!

[AloeVera]

37. Starving and burning babies is a deliberate act of genocide.

Bringing awareness to the dark reality of Israel's actions upset the genocidaires and followers.

They like to do their deeds in darkness.

[Doodley]

68. What's wrong with a publicity stunt to bring attention to people being maimed. starved, displaced or slaughtered?

[AloeVera]

82. Did the Greensboro Four stage a publicity stunt?

If you were against civil rights, that is what you might say. What did they accomplish? Got arrested and never got to eat lunch first.

Rosa Parks? Overacted, her prop was the seat and the bus her stage. What did she accomplish?

If on the side of civil rights, you would recognize the power of what others deride as "useless symbolism". It mobilized and created solidarity.

This is why the attacks on Greta. Haven't seen so many pro-Israel folks out in such force for a long while.

Keep the faith. It's working.

[Richard D]

35. The cowardly "selfie yacht" publicity stunt crew. . .

Upon arrival in Israel, climate activist Greta Thunberg and her fellow flotilla members were detained and taken into a screening room by Israeli authorities. They were shown footage of the October 7 massacre committed by Hamas, which included scenes of brutal attacks on Israeli civilians.

According to Israel’s Defense Minister, once the activists realized the nature of the film, they refused to continue watching. The screening was intended to confront them with the horrific reality of the atrocities carried out during the massacre. But they could not handle the truth.

Entitled wimps.

[Mosby]

38. In the past week while this "aid flotilla" was underway

11 MILLION meals were passed out to Gazans by real aid groups.

[iemanja]

43. What makes a "real human rights organization"?

And why has Israel so consistently denied humanitarian aid designed to feed the starving in Gaza?

Do you have a source for your statement about 11 million meals?

[Mosby]

50. Link

In a post on X early on Monday, the Israeli foreign ministry said: "While Greta and others attempted to stage a media provocation whose sole purpose was to gain publicity - and which included less than a single truckload of aid - more than 1,200 aid trucks have entered Gaza from Israel within the past two weeks, and in addition, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has distributed close to 11 million meals directly to civilians in Gaza.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y264x3nnno

[iemanja]

58. Thank you

I'm glad to hear it.

So Israel claims Greta Thunberg is bringing in weapons? That's not very believable.

[Doodley]

70. How many days in a week are there? And how many people in Gaza?

[iemanja]

41. This is about feeding starving people

Israel stops it because it interferes with their genocide efforts.

[Beastly Boy]

44. This is about a publicity stunt.

To gain visibility and feel good about THEMSELVES.

It was "symbolic".

I once symbolically adopted an elephant online. Cost me 16 bucks. I symbolically fed the animal, symbolically cared for it, symbolically picked up his shit. I had no fucking clue where my sixteen bucks ended up, what actually happened to that animal, nor was I expected to give a shit.

But it made me feel so good about myself, never mind the animal! Oh, and I got to wear a t-shirt telling everyone what a wonderful person I am.

But after a while, the ego trip lost its initial appeal. Even my self-congratulatory t-shirt didn't solicit the praises I expected.

[Richard D]

49. No, it wasn't..

It was a publicity stunt. How many meals could fit on a relatively small sailboat?

And 11 million meals delivered by convoys of trucks have been distributed in the last few days alone.

[enid602]

54. Israel children

We don’t see many Israeli children participating in such ‘publicity stunts,’ that’s for sure.

[Richard D]

55. Any.

[iemanja]

59. I suppose Gazan children are killed for publicity stunts too?

In your worldview.

[Doodley]

69. So Greta Thunberg is the problem? There's no benefit in bringing more attention to what is going on in Gaza?

[muriel_volestrangler]

75. There are clearly many people around the world who want no attention on Gaza at all

You can tell by the way they whine, and make ad hominem attacks on protesters, when the events in Gaza are described. They are ashamed of what's happening there.

[Doodley]

64. We are all Democrats here, so why can't we at least agree that what is happening in Gaza is unacceptable?

[Orrex]

77. Having read a great many of these threads, the answer presents itself.