When Leaders Morph Into Greta Thunberg

Unlike some once-serious governments, America is yet to fall for Greta Thunberg’s siren song. The 22-year-old Swedish pontificator and her selfie-loving accolades worry us less than the leaders of Britain, France, and Canada. After her failed flotilla, Ms. Thunberg was deported by Israel Tuesday, in an El Al flight home. Shortly afterward, Prime Minister Starmer followed her faux humanitarian yacht adventure with an anti-Israeli stunt of his own.The British premier and counterparts from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway imposed sanctions on Israel’s finance minister, Betzalel Smotrich, and internal security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir. The elected officials “have been inciting violence against Palestinian people for months and months and months,” the British foreign secretary, David Lammy, dissembled. “They have been encouraging egregious abuses of human rights.”The first politicians of the Jewish state to ever be sanctioned by London will now be banned from visiting Britain and these other countries. Their assets there, if any, will be seized. Further measures could target institutions in which the two bêtes noires of Israeli politics have accounts — or all Israeli banks. As our Benny Avni reports, Israeli commentators fear that France, Germany, and others might follow suit. Will Prime Minister Netanyahu be next?Opposition leader Benny Gantz writes he “deeply” disagrees with Messrs. Smotrich and Ben Gvir. Yet, as Israel defends itself against enemies that seek its destruction, he adds, “pressure and sanctions should be directed at Iran, Hamas, and the Houthis.” That sentiment, though, is absent in the streets of London, where Islamists, leftists, and old-style antisemites proudly fly Hamas flags while burning the Union Jack. Such scenes, purportedly on behalf of the people of Gaza, can be seen all over Western capitals, where governments attempt to pacify angry mobs by propping up imaginary peaceful enemies of Israel. President Macron vies to be the poster boy for Palestinian statehood. So enthusiastic is the Palestinian Authority’s president, Mahmoud Abbas, over his new pal that today he wrote a letter to Monsieur Macron, in which he attempts to appeal to French values. For the first time since October 7, 2023, Mr. Abbas condemned that day’s atrocities and pledged to disarm Hamas in the future. Also in his letter, he vowed to conduct a new presidential election “within a year.” He’s sold that used car before, so to speak, but elections haven’t materialized since the 89-year-old Mr. Abbas was elected to a four-year term 22 years ago. Yet Monsieur Macron today touted new “concrete and unprecedented” commitments. What hooey. No wonder that France and Saudi Arabia have moderated their goals for next week’s Mideast conference at the UN. Rather than recognizing “Palestine,” the conference now will reportedly attempt to reach agreement on “steps towards recognition” of Palestinian statehood. Our Turtle Bay sources say Washington has lobbied hard at Paris and Riyadh to prevent them, and others, from outright recognizing an imaginary country. Meanwhile, did President Trump just one-up Mr. Starmer? Hours after London leaked its intention to sanction Israeli politicians, the Department of State announced new sanctions on “fraudulent charity” organizations linked to Hamas. Anti-Israel rioters in American streets are as visible as their Continental counterparts. Yet, unlike Paris, London, and the likes, Washington refuses to follow Greta Thunberg’s cue.

When Leaders Morph Into Greta Thunberg

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