Greta Thunberg deletes Gaza photo after squishy toy provokes 'antisemitism' accusations

Greta Thunberg has deleted a photo she took of her holding a placard in support of Gaza after social media users said a toy in the picture was antisemitic.

The Swedish environmental activist posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, a series of pictures taken with other activists in support of Palestinians in Gaza as well as for climate justice.

One of the pictures featured an octopus squishy toy, which led some pro-Israel profiles to accuse her of antisemitism, as the octopus has been used in antisemitic propaganda since the 19th century.

Following the criticism, Thunberg deleted the post and released a message clarifying why:

"It has come to my knowledge that the stuffed animal shown in my earlier post can be interpreted as a symbol for antisemitism, which I was completely unaware of. The toy in the picture is a tool often used by autistic people as a way to communicate feelings," she tweeted.

"We are of course against any type of discrimination, and condemn antisemitism in all forms and shapes. This is non-negotiable. That is why I deleted the last post."