From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Climate activist Thunberg flogged for ‘crush Zionism’ chant
Canaan Lidor is a former Jewish World reporter at The Times of Israel
Footage showing climate activist Greta Thunberg chanting “crush Zionism” at a recent pro-Palestinian rally in Sweden is provoking harsh-worded criticism of her by prominent Jewish environmentalists.
The actions by Thunberg, whom many regard as a symbol of the environmentalist movement, reflect how “large parts of ‘the left’ or ‘progressives’ have been intellectually captured by a naive, distorted and frankly bigoted anti-Zionism,” Nigel Savage, a UK-born environmental activist and founder of Jewish environmental nonprofit organization Hazon, tells The Times of Israel Tuesday.
Savage, whose Jerusalem-based group was established in 2000 and holds environmentally oriented bike rides in New York, adds: “It is a microcosm of a far larger and far greater challenge. It’s sad and disturbing.”
Greta Thunberg chanting in Sweden:
“What are we going to do? We will crush Zionism”
Greta and both her parents are militant extreme-left activists and always have been.
Some people tried to tell the world years ago, but were silenced by the media. pic.twitter.com/RrMIdByBib
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) November 25, 2023
Thunberg has not immediately replied to attempts to obtain her reaction.
Alon Tal, a former Israeli lawmaker and a prominent environmental studies scientist, says that Thunberg has had “a historic role in raising global awareness about climate change,” but has “misused her stature to promote racist, violent positions.”
A Swedish 20-year-old who dropped out of school in 2018 to pursue a full-time activism career against what she warns is an impending climate-related crisis, Thunberg is a vocal supporter of Palestinians and has posted photos of herself with signs supporting Gaza, including ones reading: “Stop the Holocaust” and “Jews for the liberation of Palestine.”
