Greta Thunberg Wears ‘Yalla Intifada’ Shirt at Berlin Protest Against Weapons Production

The Second Intifada began in 2000 and continued until 2005, killing 1,010 Israelis, most of them Jewish civilians, in suicide bombings, shootings and other attacks.

By Shula Rosen

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg attended a protest in Berlin on Saturday wearing a T-shirt bearing the slogan “Yalla Intifada,” drawing criticism over the phrase’s association with waves of Palestinian terrorist attacks that killed more than 1,000 Israelis.

Thunberg joined demonstrators outside a new ammunition production facility operated by German defense manufacturer Rheinmetall in Berlin’s Wedding district.

The Berlin Alliance Against Arms Production organized the protest as Rheinmetall converts production lines at the site from civilian automotive components to steel casings for 155-mm artillery shells.

Although the demonstration centered on opposition to arms production, Thunberg’s clothing made reference to the intifadas, periods marked by deadly terrorist attacks against Israelis.

“Greta Thunberg attended a protest wearing a ‘Yalla Intifada’ shirt,” the Combat Antisemitism Movement said in a statement.

“The slogan combines the Arabic word for ‘let’s go’ and Intifada, terror campaigns that killed thousands of people.”

The First Intifada, which lasted from 1987 to 1993, left about 200 Israelis dead.

The Second Intifada began in 2000 and continued until 2005, killing 1,010 Israelis, most of them Jewish civilians, in suicide bombings, shootings and other attacks.

Thunberg first gained prominence as a teenage activist advocating for environmental protection. In recent years, she has increasingly focused on anti-Israel activism and has participated as a passenger in Gaza flotilla efforts on several occasions.

Israeli forces intercepted both attempts involving Thunberg, and she was detained and deported. She later stepped down from a leadership role in one flotilla effort amid reported disagreements over its direction.

Thunberg’s appearance at the Berlin protest marked her latest involvement in anti-Israel activism, this time at a demonstration focused on disarmament and the production of artillery shell components.