US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) issued a caustic remark directed at Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and her fellow campaigners aboard a vessel attempting to breach Israel's naval blockade of Gaza.
"Hope Greta and her friends can swim!" the South Carolina senator quipped, referring to the Freedom Flotilla vessel Madleen, which departed the Sicilian port of Catania on Sunday. The ship is carrying Thunberg and 11 other activists as part of a mission to "break Israel's siege" of Gaza, according to organizers cited by The Associated Press.
The activists, including "Game of Thrones" actor Liam Cunningham and French MEP Rima Hassan, are aiming to deliver aid and draw international attention to what they describe as a humanitarian crisis in the Hamas-controlled enclave. Hassan has previously been barred from entering Israel due to her anti-Israel activism.
Before departure, Thunberg claimed the mission was a stand against what she termed the "live-streamed genocide" in Gaza. "We have to keep trying. Because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity," she told reporters. "And no matter how dangerous this mission is, it's not even near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world."
The voyage comes weeks after another Freedom Flotilla vessel, the "Conscience," was reportedly damaged by drones in international waters off Malta. The group accused Israel of being behind the attack.
The attempt also echoes the 2010 "Freedom Flotilla" incident, when the Turkish vessel Mavi Marmara was intercepted by Israeli forces after refusing to dock at Ashdod Port. Israeli soldiers who boarded the ship were attacked with clubs and knives by the Islamists on board, prompting a violent clash that left 10 of the activists dead. A subsequent inspection revealed that no humanitarian aid was found aboard the ship.
Thunberg has intensified her criticism of Israel since the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre that ignited the current conflict. Despite that event, she has repeatedly voiced support for Gaza and participated in anti-Israel demonstrations, including a January rally in Leipzig where she called to "crush Zionism."
Her controversial stance drew public backlash during a November 2023 rally in Amsterdam when a protester interrupted her speech, expressing frustration over what he described as political posturing at a climate event.
The current voyage is expected to take seven days, barring any interception.