Rifts in Gaza flotilla? Greta Thunberg removed from leadership committee - Michael Starr
by Michael Starr
Greta Thunberg was quietly removed from the Global Sumud Flotilla’s leadership as organizers face internal rifts and communication challenges during their mission to breach the Gaza naval blockade.
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg
arrives at the port of Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia, as part of the Global
Sumud Flotilla which will pause for two days in Tunisia before setting
sail again on September 10, joining the Maghreb Sumud Flotilla on its
journey to Gaza Tunis, Tunisia, September 7, 2025. (photo credit: REUTERS/JIHED ABIDELLAOUI)
Climate activist Greta Thunberg was removed from the Global Sumud Flotilla’s
Steering Committee last week, and the mission’s spokesperson left the
Gaza-bound vessels amid a reorientation of communications priorities.
Thunberg, who joined a previous run of the Israeli naval blockade around Gaza in June with the Madleen,
appeared on the GSF’s website as part of its leadership committee until
at least last Sunday. Il Manifesto, which has a correspondent aboard
one of the flotilla vessels, reported on Tuesday that Thunberg was seen
dragging her suitcase along a Tunis dock to transfer from the Steering
Committee flagship Family to another vessel, the Alma.
“We all have a role: mine will not be on the board, but as an organizer and participant,” Thunberg told the newspaper.
Il
Manifesto detailed that “pressure is causing rifts within the
organizing committee,” allegedly due to disagreements about external
communication that focused too much on the flotilla’s internal affairs
and not enough on the situation in Gaza. Last Saturday, flotilla
spokesperson Yusuf Omar announced that he would not be continuing with
the flotilla but would continue to work with the organizers to raise
awareness for the mission.
A strategic decision to redirect attention
“The
decision to move some media off the vessels is a strategic one – to
redirect more attention to the genocide in Gaza right now,” said Omar.Swedish
activist Greta Thunberg and other Global Sumud Flotilla members wait on
their boat to depart to Gaza from Barcelona, Spain September 1, 2025,
after stormy weather forced the flotilla to return to port earlier.
(credit: BRUNA CASAS/REUTERS)The communications
issues come after a series of troubles for the flotilla, including
stormy weather, technical issues, and claims about being stalked and
attacked by drones – though Tunisian authorities disputed accounts of
the latter problem.The
flotilla had embarked from Barcelona on August 31 but had to return to
port and set off again the following day due to weather conditions. It
arrived in Tunisia on September 7, three days behind schedule. Here it
stalled, according to Il Manifesto, as fuel logistics and bureaucratic
issues at Bizerte led some frustrated participants to abandon the
mission and return to Tunis to secure a plane.The
flotilla continued to flounder until Tuesday, when it set course for
Italy to join additional ships from southern Europe. According to the
Sumud ship tracker, most of the vessels are in between Sicily and Crete,
with some stragglers still off the coast of Syracuse.
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