Upon the arrival of the "Freedom Flotilla" to the area surrounding Gaza, now dubbed the "selfie yacht," photos and videos of the supplies handed over to the illegal arrivals were distributed by Israeli authorities. 

The passing of the supplies, including sandwiches and water, raised comments across social media and the Israeli public. Though flotilla organizer and climate activist Greta Thunberg has adopted a vegan diet, she was handed supplies from Israeli Naval officers that did not meet those standards.

However, Israelis reacting to the flotilla's arrival are seemingly most concerned with one thing: the type of sandwiches given to those in the PR stunt. The simple sandwich on challah bread was marked as a Kibbutz Einat sandwich labeled "spicy pastrami," built with mustard-mayo, pickles, and pastrami.

This type of sandwich is known to many in Israel as a gas station staple, an easy bite for those on the road.

However, for former IDF soldiers, these sandwiches are reminders of cultural days out with the military. 

Climate activist Greta Thunberg was detained by the IDF on June 9, 2025. (credit: ISRAEL FOREIGN MINISTRY)
Climate activist Greta Thunberg was detained by the IDF on June 9, 2025. (credit: ISRAEL FOREIGN MINISTRY)
"When I saw the picture of Greta with the sandwich, I did a double-take before zooming in on the sandwich and the plastic packaging," said M, who came to Israel as a lone soldier from Canada with Tzofim Garin Tzabar. "These sandwiches weren't an everyday kind of thing, mostly when we would go for things like cultural days, or visiting historical sites, etc. They had to bring us food, so they would bring out these cardboard boxes filled with [these] sandwiches. They weren't always pastrami, but I don't remember them tasting very good," she said. 

"It was actually quite funny to see that the army would hand these out," M added.

Israelis nostalgic for sandwich 'Freedom Flotilla' members receive

Across social media, Israelis have taken digs at the sandwiches provided, posing questions of how knowingly providing a meat sandwich to a vegan will make Israel look, or if Thunberg will find the sandwich itself worse, or that it is wrapped in plastic. 

Israelis joked about the quality of the sandwich being tried at the International Criminal Court at the Hague. 

Others traded jabs over the look Thunberg gave the associated soldiers, adding, "I know that look! Everyone remembers their first encounter on Birthright with an IDF soldier!"