Greta Thunberg: Advocacy, Visibility, and Solidarity with Palestine

posted on: Oct 8, 2025

By: Layla Mahmoud / Arab America Contributing Writer

Greta Thunberg is best known for climate action, but in recent years, she has expanded her public voice into human rights and justice, especially in support of the Palestinian people. Through protests, flotillas, social media, and public statements, Thunberg has made it clear that for her, climate justice is inseparable from political justice.

Public Appeals & Social Media Solidarity

Thunberg has used her global platform to raise awareness and call for immediate humanitarian action in Gaza. She has posted messages demanding ceasefires, justice, and freedom for Palestinian civilians affected by war. Her posts on X and Instagram are many, urging people to “stand with Gaza,” “free Palestine,” and to support civilians caught in the crossfire. She has also criticized symbolic political recognition of a Palestinian state, insisting that these actions must be paired with substantive, real pressure on states to act on what international bodies have described as humanitarian law violations.

Protests, Rallies, and Public Presence

Thunberg hasn’t limited her activism to online posts. She has joined protests, wearing symbols like the kuffiyeh in solidarity and speaking at events where climate and human rights intersect. One notable event was in Milan (October 2024), where she led a climate rally that also supported Palestine. She decried what she described as an “apartheid regime,” urging audiences to consider environmental justice alongside human rights.

Participation in the Global Sumud Flotilla & Aid Missions

Her activism has also taken a more direct action form: Thunberg joined the Global Sumud Flotilla, a mission to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and challenge the naval blockade. This is not merely symbolic. The flotilla aims to bring essential supplies and to shine a spotlight on Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. Through the flotilla, she has called attention to how political and environmental crises converge: how blockades, resource scarcity, and conflict contribute to both human suffering and environmental damage.

Calls for Accountability & Action

Thunberg has emphasized that solidarity gestures—while important—are not enough. She has called out governments that issue statements recognizing the Palestinian state or expressing verbal support, demanding that they match their words with action. This includes pushing for stronger diplomatic pressure on Israel to end offensives, ensuring humanitarian corridors, and addressing various violations of international law.

Challenges, Criticisms, and Risk

Her activism has come with backlash. Critics have accused her of being politically naive or of overlooking “complexities” in the genocide. Some media and political figures have attempted to conflate her solidarity with extremism. In addition, participating in flotillas and aid missions brings real risk such as detention, arrest, and deportation, especially when entering contested zones or attempting to deliver aid across blockades. Thunberg’s involvement in the Sumud Flotilla drew international attention precisely because it challenged both logistical and legal barriers.

What This Means for Global Solidarity and Youth Movements

Thunberg’s activism around Palestine illustrates a growing trend among climate activists to link environmental justice with human rights. It shows that younger generations are less interested in single-issue activism; instead, they are demanding intersectionality. Her actions help shift protest culture by making visible that issues like climate change, conflict, displacement, and human rights are not separate spheres, but connected. Her participation also signals to other activists that high-profile figures can both raise public awareness and put pressure on institutions. It emboldens grassroots organizations and offers a model of solidarity that includes risk and commitment, not just statements.

Greta Thunberg’s contributions to the Palestinian cause are not limited to symbolic gestures. From protests and social media to joining aid flotillas and calling for concrete political accountability, she has leveraged her influence to amplify suffering, demand justice, and connect global issues of ecology, conflict, and human rights. While dissent always invites criticism, her work underscores a changing paradigm: activism today must reflect the complexity of justice—not just for the planet, but for people.

Want more articles like this? Sign up for our e-newsletter!

Check out our blog here!