Climate activist Greta Thunberg’s latest controversy has sparked outrage in Israel after the government dismissed her alleged jailhouse complaints as “brazen lies.” The accusation came after reports claimed Thunberg endured harsh conditions in an Israeli detention center following her arrest during the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla earlier this month.
According to The Guardian, Thunberg told Swedish officials she suffered rashes from bedbugs and dehydration during her brief stay in custody. She also reportedly described her treatment as “harsh and exhausting.” But Israeli officials strongly reject those claims, saying every detainee — including Thunberg — received proper care.
In a statement posted to X, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said all detainees’ “legal rights were fully upheld” and insisted Thunberg “did not complain to Israeli authorities about any of these ludicrous and baseless allegations because they never occurred.” The ministry reaffirmed that every activist had “access to food, water, legal counsel and medical care.”
Court documents from Thunberg’s hearing before Israel’s Population and Migration Tribunal also support the government’s account, showing she requested deportation but made no formal mistreatment complaints.
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir went further, calling the flotilla participants “supporters of terrorism” and saying he was “proud they experienced the same conditions as terrorist detainees.” His blunt assessment underscores the Israeli position — that Thunberg’s “brazen lies” have once again exposed her activism as more performance than principle.
