Greta Thunberg is receiving a massive online backlash after posting a pro-Palestine message on X and a picture of her and her friends holding up pro-Palestine placards. However, the outrage started to gush once people noticed a stuffed octopus next to the people in the picture.
The Octopus is considered a symbol of antisemitism. It was often used in the 19th and 20th centuries in propaganda writings and cartoons that aimed to portray and instill fear of Jewish influence negatively. Thunberg later deleted the image and claimed that she did not know the antisemitic history of the octopus. Stuffed Fox
On Friday, October 20, Greta Thunberg posted a picture of her holding a "Stand with Gaza" sign on X (formerly known as Twitter). Along with her were three friends who held placards saying, "Free Palestine," "Climate justice now!" and "This jew stands with Palestine."
What netizens were quick to notice was a tiny blue stuffed angry octopus toy placed on the knees of the girl holding the "Climate justice now!" sign. The octopus immediately instigated outrage among many X users, claiming that Greta Thunberg had used the stuffed animal as an antisemitic symbol.
The octopus was a common symbol of antisemitism in the late 19th and 20th centuries, especially during the rise of Hitler and Nazism. It was often spoken about or depicted via imagery in antisemitic propaganda to spread conspiracy theories about Jewish people.
The octopus aimed to portray Jewish influence negatively and instilled fear and hatred towards Jews as it made people believe that they were allegedly taking over the world. The octopus was a propaganda tool to showcase a Jewish takeover of various facets of society, including politics, media, and finance.
The origin of the antisemitic trope can be roughly traced back to a 20th-century fabricated and fictitious text by the name of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. The text detailed an alleged Jewish world domination plan through control of every aspect of society. Octopus imagery was also featured on the front cover of The International Jew, a set of antisemitic booklets published by Henry Ford in the 1920s.
Greta Thunberg quickly deleted the post with the octopus and reposted it without the stuffed toy. She responded by saying that that she was "completely unaware" of the octopus being a symbol of antisemitism. She clarified that the Reversible Octopus Plushie was a toy used by Autistic people to communicate their feelings.
Greta Thunberg, who has been quite vocal and open about her autism, OCD, and selective mutism, further stated:
Netizens were still not happy with Thunberg. A few thought that the Plushie was just an ordinary toy. However, for others, the plushie was not the problem. Many users, including the official X account of Israel and Israeli Diplomat Dana Filber, were angry at Thunberg's pro-Palestine stance without mentioning Hamas' atrocities towards the Israeli people.
Arye Sharuz Shalicar, the Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, told Politico that anyone identifying with Greta was a "terror supporter." He insinuated that Thunberg was "sweeping the terror of the Palestinians or Hamas and Islamic Jihad" as if it did not exist.
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