The famed BBC broadcaster, whose family rescued Jewish sisters before the Holocaust, has never backed Israel boycotts and once praised Israel’s climate innovation.
British broadcaster and environmentalist David Attenborough turned 100 on Friday and said he had been "completely overwhelmed" by birthday greetings in a worldwide outpouring of affection for the British wildlife broadcaster.
"I had rather thought that I would celebrate my 100th birthday quietly, but it seems that many of you have had other ideas," he said in an audio message released by the BBC.
"I’ve been completely overwhelmed by birthday greetings from preschool groups to care home residents and countless individuals and families of all ages."
The centenarian, a regular host of environmental and nature documentaries on the British public broadcaster, the BBC, is notable within the industry for not having joined boycotts against Israel.
At the sidelines of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, he spoke with then-prime minister Naftali Bennett, who wrote that it was an honor to meet Attenborough.
During the conversation, Attenborough told Bennett that "the world relies on Israel to come up with solutions for climate change," Bennett wrote on X/Twitter at the time.
Attenborough family's ties with Holocaust survivors, Kindertransport
Growing up, Attenborough's parents worked to rescue Jews from Nazi Germany in the build-up to the Holocaust and World War II. His family eventually hosted two sisters, Irene and Helga Bejach, who arrived as part of the Kindertransport in August 1939.
Attenborough, along with the rest of his family, treated them "like sisters" as they lived in their Leicester home for seven years. Attenborough, along with his older brother Richard, kept in touch with Irene and Helga, as well as their respective families, all their lives.
In May 2021, amid an escalation of conflict between Israel and Gazan terror groups, a fake quote began circulating online which claimed that Attenborough said that "I am not aware of any animal that is so cruel as the Israelis," among other alleged denouncements against the IDF. However, none of these statements were true, with both the BBC and Attenborough denying them, as well as independent investigatory bodies, such as Snopes, also issuing "fake news" declarations vis-à-vis the quotes.
Meanwhile, the Natural History Museum paid tribute to Attenborough by naming a species of parasitic wasp after him. The newly-named Attenboroughnculus tau species is native to Chile's Patagonian lakes region, according to the BBC.
As another part of the celebrations, a butterfly farm in Stratford-upon-Avon will release 100 morpho butterflies into the farm's Rainforest Flight Area.
Attenborough also reacted to receiving birthday wishes, saying he was "completely overwhelmed."
"I had rather thought that I would celebrate my 100th birthday quietly, but it seems that many of you have had other ideas," he said in an audio message released on Thursday.
"I have been completely overwhelmed by birthday greetings, from pre-school groups to care home residents, and countless individuals and families of all ages," he continued.
"I simply can't reply to each of you separately, but I'd like to thank you all most sincerely for your kind messages, and wish those of you who have planned your own local events: Have a very happy day," he added.
Reuters contributed to this report.