Jun 10, 2025 09:17 AM IST
Greta Thunberg on Monday posted a video on social media saying that she has been kidnapped in international waters by Israeli forces while on Freedom Flotilla.
US President Donald Trump suggested that Greta Thunberg should take anger management classes. His remark came in response to a reporter asking Trump for a message for Thunberg, who claimed on Monday that she was kidnapped by the Israeli army on her way to giving aid to Gaza.
She, along with other activists aboard the Freedom flotilla, was intercepted by the Israeli military while carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. The boat named Madleen departed from Sicily in June earlier and had a cargo of formula, flour, rice, diapers, women’s sanitary products and more.
Greta posted a pre-recorded video on social media saying that she had been kidnapped in international waters by Israeli forces. “If you see this video, we are being intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupation forces, or forces that support Israel. I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible,” she said.
Responding to the reporter on the question about Thunberg’s claims of being kidnapped, Trump said, “She is a strange person. She is a young, angry person, I don’t know if it’s real anger; it’s hard to believe. She’s certainly different. I think she has to go to an anger management class, that’s my primary recommendation for her.” Further, Trump also reacted by saying that “I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg”
In a statement issued on Monday, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition accused Israel of violating international law.
The Israeli foreign ministry responded on X by saying that the activists were safe and unharmed. Calling the freedom flotilla “a selfie yacht,” they said that it is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. Further, they assured that the passengers were being provided with sandwiches and water.
Israel had warned previously that it would take “whatever measures are necessary” to prevent Madleen from breaking the blockade.
