Björk demands Iceland cut ties with Israel after friend’s alleged kidnapping

Björk calls on Iceland to cut business with Israel and demand musician Magga Stína’s release after her abduction

Icelandic singer Björk has appealed for the “safe return” of her childhood friend and fellow musician Magga Stína, after reports claimed she was kidnapped by the Israeli army.

Posting on Facebook, Björk said Magga Stína was aboard a humanitarian boat following Greta Thunberg as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, aiming to deliver aid to Gaza and protest Israel’s ongoing blockade. “My childhood friend musician Magga Stína has just been kidnapped by the Israeli army,” Björk wrote. “She sailed on a boat following Greta Thunberg in trying to stop the genocide in Gaza.”

The artist, who recently joined the ‘No Music For Genocide’ campaign—a movement urging musicians to remove their work from Israeli platforms—called on Icelandic authorities to “stop business interactions with Israel until the genocide in Gaza stops” and to fight for Stína’s release.

Björk added that Iceland’s recognition of Palestine in 2014 should be followed by stronger political action, saying the country “knows what it feels like to be suppressed.”

Magga Stína’s family also released a statement urging the Icelandic government to intervene, expressing grave concern about her treatment under Israeli detention.

The incident follows reports that Greta Thunberg and dozens of other activists were detained after Israeli forces intercepted multiple vessels carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. According to The Guardian, Thunberg described “harsh conditions” during her detention before being deported to Greece.

Israeli officials, however, have denied all accusations of mistreatment, calling them “fake news.”

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