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Fridays for Future (FFF) is actually committed to the climate. But activists also speak out about the war in the Middle East. The organization is increasingly accused of anti-Semitism because it stands up for the rights of Palestinians on social media and is critical of Israel.
Greta Thunberg (20) wrote on X last week: “Today we are on strike in solidarity with Palestine and Gaza. The world must raise its voice and demand an immediate ceasefire, justice and freedom for the Palestinians and all affected civilians.”
She was harshly criticized for this. Some accused the Swede of being anti-Semitic or downplaying the Hamas massacre. She apologized and wrote a day later: “It goes without saying – or so I thought – that I am against Hamas’ terrible attacks.”
“Neocolonialism and Apartheid”
The rest of the climate movement is also grappling with accusations of anti-Semitism, fueled by criticism of Israel. Fridays for Future published a message on its international Instagram profile sharply attacking Israel. She accuses the country of ‘genocide’ against the Palestinians. The message caused a wave of outrage.
It is not the first time that FFF International has taken a stand against Israel. The FFF International Twitter account wrote in January: “At least 18 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of the year. These are the results of Israeli neo-colonialism and apartheid. We as Fridays for Future stand united on the side of the Palestinians and the Palestinian resistance.”
The message ended with the words “Yallah Intifada!” – the slogan is widely understood as a call for armed resistance against Israel. Many consider criticism of Israel anti-Semitic. FFF is accused of hating Jews and siding with Hamas.
German branch distances itself
The ideologies within FFF couldn’t be more different from each other. The German branch wrote further
Internal chats, which should be available to the “Jüdische Allgemeine”, also show that opinions are divided even at FFF International. What is particularly striking is that the critical messages about Israel largely come from the same author: Hassan Ö.* from Rhineland-Palatinate (D).
FFF International is not an official legitimate account of a climate organization. Instead, according to the newspaper, it concerns several dozen activists who communicate via a Telegram group. Anyone can make a suggestion about what is posted on the X account. In most cases, only a handful of members would end up voting.
Hassan Ö. is particularly active and, according to the newspaper, “regularly and vehemently” pushes for reports about the conflict in the Middle East. Since August 2021, at least ten such entries have been traced back to him – including the one from January.
Activist insults other members
If anyone criticizes him, Hassan Ö. become unstable. He is said to have written “You little racist piece of shit” when a Berlin activist spoke out against the post. The other members let it pass several times.
In particular, FFF Germany is Hassan Ö. a thorn in the eye. According to him, the members are racist. He himself was part of the organization – until he was kicked out earlier this year. FFF Germany gave the newspaper reasons: offensive behavior, anti-Semitism and downplaying the terror against Jews.
However, Hassan told the newspaper that he had experienced “racist bullying”. His position on Israel would be in line with the “worldwide left mainstream.” He denies that he has any ideological influence on FFF International: “FFF International is uniformly positioned in solidarity with Palestine and is therefore very critical of FFF Germany.” He also denies being partly responsible for the criticism of Israel.
A Jewish activist appears depressed: “I don’t have the impression that I am being listened to. If I tried to influence the group’s positions on Israel, I would be marginalized by a handful of activists.” (Ms.)
*Name known
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
