Photo of Greta Thunberg altered to show her holding antisemitic book

Context

Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg expressed solidarity with Gaza and Palestine two weeks into the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict that began on October 7, 2023. She then attended a pro-Palestinian rally outside the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm on October 22. The activist has since faced criticism from Jewish environmentalists over her actions, according to a report by The Times of Israel.

What is the claim?

Amid this, an image of Thunberg purportedly holding a book titled ‘On the Jews and Their Lies,’ a 16th-century publication known for its anti-Judaic and antisemitic content written by German Reformation leader Martin Luther, has been shared on social media. Posts shared on X (formerly Twitter) have garnered huge engagement. Archived posts can be found here and here. It has also been shared on Facebook (archived here).

This image was shared on X, which has raked hundreds of thousands of views. (Source: X/Screenshots)

However, this image is altered, and Thunberg is seen holding a different book in the original image.

What we found

A reverse image search led us to the original photo posted by Thunberg on an X thread on February 15, 2023. The image in this post shows her holding her book, ‘The Climate Book.’ 

Thunberg’s X post caption reads, “I’m so pleased to share that The Climate Book is now available in the USA and Canada! I have gathered the wisdom of over one hundred contributors to highlight the many different crises we face and equip us with the knowledge we need to avoid a climate disaster.”

Visually, the book covers in the original and viral images are different, too. ‘The Climate Book’ has a blue cover, while ‘On the Jews and Their Lies’ has a green cover. Thunberg, however, can be seen against the same blank background, wearing the same red t-shirt and hairstyle and standing at the same angle to the camera. 

Comparison of the viral image and the original image. (Source: X/Screenshots)

We noted that although some social media users acknowledged that the photo may have been edited for satirical purposes, many conflated it with her anti-Israel stance during the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. However, Thunberg has not taken a stance against the Jewish community. 

This is not the first time this image has been edited and shared online with a misleading narrative. Thunberg’s stance on several topics is frequently debated in online spaces, which has led to deliberately misleading visuals about her being spread widely.

The verdict

An edited image of Greta Thunberg is being circulated online to show her holding an antisemitic book when, in fact, the original image shows her holding a climate-related book that she authored. Therefore, we have marked this image as fake.