After a pro-Palestinian post, the Israeli Ministry of Education distances itself from Greta Thunberg. The climate activist should no longer be presented as a “role model and inspiration” in teaching materials.
With her commitment to the climate, Greta Thunberg has become an inspiration and role model for many young people. But after her pro-Palestinian statements, the environmental activist recently came under criticism from supporters. Last Friday, Thunberg called for a strike for solidarity with the Palestinians instead of a strike for the climate.
In Israel, Thunberg’s posts on social media were greeted with great disappointment – and are apparently drawing conclusions from them. The Jerusalem Post reports that Israel’s Ministry of Education wants to overhaul the way Thunberg is portrayed in educational materials.
Greta Thunberg is not an “educational and moral role model”
“Hamas is a terrorist organization responsible for the murder of 1,400 innocent Israelis, including children, women and the elderly, and kidnapped over 200 people to Gaza,” the Israeli newspaper quoted the Ministry of Education as saying. “This attitude disqualifies her from being an educational and moral role model, and she is no longer fit to serve as an inspiration and educator for Israeli students.”
A spokesman for the ministry told Newsweek that those passages that “depict Thunberg as a role model and source of inspiration for young people” should be removed. At the same time, he emphasized that their contributions to the global climate protection movement should not be diminished or even concealed.
“Fridays For Future Germany” shows solidarity with Israel
Thunberg had called for a solidarity strike for Palestine and Gaza on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) and called for “an immediate ceasefire, justice and freedom for the Palestinians and all affected civilians.” The posts caused outrage: Critics particularly complained that Thunberg did not specifically mention the 1,400 deaths in the major attack on Israel by the Islamist Hamas.
The 20-year-old also posted a photo showing a cuddly toy that was reminiscent of an anti-Semitic symbol. Thunberg deleted this post a few hours later. She explained that she wasn’t aware of the similarity.
The German branch of the climate protection movement “Fridays For Future”, which developed from Thunberg’s school strike, expressed solidarity with Israel. “Israel’s right to exist is non-negotiable. International humanitarian law applies to everyone. Human rights apply to everyone,” explained the movement on X. The German activists did not explicitly respond to Greta Thunberg’s statements.
Sources: / / /
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
