Fact Check: Fake Pic of Greta Thunberg Holding 'F*** Israel' Sign
Claim:
A photograph shared to social media in November 2024 authentically showed Greta Thunberg holding a sign reading, "F*** Israel."
Rating:
In mid-November 2024, as the Israel-Hamas war raged on, an image that supposedly showed climate activist Greta Thunberg holding a sign reading "F*** Israel" spread on social media.
One X post (archived) featuring the photograph had amassed more than 1.3 million views, 117,000 likes and 17,000 shares as of this writing.
— F*ck Israel Meter (@FuckIsrEveryHr) November 11, 2024
Several users in the comments expressed agreement with the message allegedly on the sign. One user wrote, "Always a star. You are a wonderful role model for young women."
However, others pointed out discrepancies in the image and suggested it was digitally edited or created with the use of artificial intelligence software.
They were correct. The image was a cropped and manipulated version of a real photo of Thunberg holding a sign reading, "Stand With Gaza." We have labeled the in-question image fake.
We reached out to the author of the X post above to ask if they digitally created the image — or, if not, if they could share where they found it. We will update this report if we receive a response.
The Real Pic Featured 'Stand With Gaza' Sign
Thunberg shared the original, unaltered photo on Oct. 20, 2023. The post's caption expressed solidarity with the Palestinian territories and called for an immediate ceasefire.
Week 270. Today we strike in solidarity with Palestine and Gaza. The world needs to speak up and call for an immediate ceasefire, justice and freedom for Palestinians and all civilians affected.#FreePalestine #IStandWithPalestine #StandWithGaza #FridaysForFuture
Thread🧵 pic.twitter.com/0hVtya0yWO— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) October 20, 2023
Below, you can see how the original photo was cropped and edited:
(X users @GretaThunberg and @FuckIsrEveryHr)
In sum, there was no evidence of Thunberg being photographed while holding a "F*** Israel" sign. No news outlets covered such a story, which would have been eminently newsworthy if it were true.
We have previously investigated several Thunberg-related claims, including:
Did Greta Thunberg Delete Tweet Claiming Climate Change Will Wipe Out Humanity by 2023?
Did Teen Activist Greta Thunberg Tell China to Stop Using Chopsticks?
Sources:
Evon, Dan. "Did Teen Activist Greta Thunberg Tell China to Stop Using Chopsticks?" Snopes, 19 May 2020, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/greta-thunberg-chopsticks/.
Kasprak, Alex. "Did Greta Thunberg Delete Tweet Claiming Climate Change Will Wipe Out Humanity by 2023?" Snopes, 17 Mar. 2023, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/greta-thunberg-deleted-2018-tweet-on-humanity/.
PerryCook, Taija. "Authentic Image of Greta Thunberg Detained at Protest?" Snopes, 11 Apr. 2024, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/thunberg-detained-at-protest/.