All Aboard the ‘Selfie Yacht’: How the Media Fueled a PR Stunt Masquerading as Activism
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by Sharon Levy
FILE PHOTO: Activist Greta Thunberg sits aboard the aid ship Madleen, which left the Italian port of Catania on June 1 to travel to Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid, in this picture released on June 2, 2025 on social media. Photo: Freedom Flotilla Coalition/via REUTERS/File Photo
On June 1, Swedish climate change activist turned anti-Israel agitator Greta Thunberg and 11 fellow travelers attempted to sail their way to the Gaza Strip. Packed with less than a single truck’s worth of aid, this tiny boat should not have garnered the international media’s attention. But over the course of the crew’s nine-day vacation, Greta and her friends made headlines everywhere.
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The media were happy to give a platform to this performance. The Irish Times was quick to increase the scale of the vessel, referring to it as a “charity boat” — as if a handful of activists with a token supply of aid were spearheading a major humanitarian operation.
Most notably, CNN gave Greta and German activist Yasemin Acar airtime, effectively legitimizing the stunt with a mainstream spotlight. Not once in the two-minute interview are the two activists questioned about the practicality of their stunt or how they would distribute the meager amount of aid they brought with them.
Most glaringly, the two were not questioned about how exactly they would navigate Gaza, an active war zone in which the Israeli army is fighting a terrorist organization that has embedded itself within the civilian infrastructure.
The activists’ lack of coordination with recognized humanitarian organizations underscores how little faith they had in actually reaching Gaza to safely distribute aid, further proving the flotilla was never about aid, but about publicity.
As the yacht began to sail its way closer to Israel, the IDF successfully and safely intervened, taking control of the ship in order to bring the crew to Israel.
As the takeover was occurring, Greta posted a pre-recorded video, claiming the crew was being “kidnapped” by the IDF. Of course, Greta and her activist friends did not once think about the lack of aid or the dire situation of the 55 Israeli hostages who are still being held in Gaza. Unsurprisingly, Sky News quickly gave yet another platform to Greta’s performative skit.
Newsweek‘s headline gave her claim even more legitimacy.
The Israelis who are held hostage do not have the luxury of sandwiches, water, and a flight home.
Greta Thunberg has not been kidnapped. We most definitely know that, @Newsweek. pic.twitter.com/HvD3rj1jQB
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) June 9, 2025
As the IDF took control of the ship, sharing online that the crew members were all safe and accounted for, outlets moved on from amplifying the activist-led voyage to casting doubt on Israel’s documented actions.
Despite the Israeli Foreign Ministry publishing a video of the activists being provided food and water, The Washington Post claimed the footage merely “appeared to” show what was described.
Meanwhile, unverified claims from Greta Thunberg’s ship were reported without hesitation or scrutiny. The contrast is striking: when it comes to Israel, even video evidence is treated with skepticism, while activist narratives are accepted at face value.
The Israelis who are held hostage do not have the luxury of sandwiches, water, and a flight home.
Greta Thunberg has not been kidnapped. We most definitely know that, @Newsweek. pic.twitter.com/HvD3rj1jQB
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) June 9, 2025
The BBC never misses an opportunity to demonstrate its skewed attitude towards Israel. In reporting that the IDF would show the activists footage from October 7th, the corporation placed the word “massacre” in scare quotes, casting doubt on the very nature of one of the most well-documented atrocities in recent history.
Sickening: Scare quotes around the October 7 massacre.
Just when you thought @BBCNews couldn’t sink any lower. pic.twitter.com/PCuUltvgYr
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) June 9, 2025
While the BBC subsequently updated its post after being publicly humiliated, with a full quote from Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, the fact that it initially focused on that one word from Katz speaks volumes.
For nine days, the media propped up the Madleen crew members as heroic activists who could save Gaza. All the while, truckloads of humanitarian aid were entering Gaza daily in full coordination with the IDF and legitimate humanitarian organizations.
The coordinated media effort to amplify a voyage with no logistical plan and no credible partners did nothing to help Gazan civilians. Instead, it served only the interests of a few narcissistic activists chasing headlines and a curated Instagram story.
The author is a contributor to HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.
