1,000 Israelis stranded in Greece after pro-Palestinian protesters block cruise ship exit

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked approximately 1,000 passengers aboard the Israeli cruise ship MS Crown Iris from disembarking on the island of Crete on Tuesday afternoon.

The travelers were stranded at the port of Souda after the protesters obstructed the exit from the port, making it impossible for them to continue their cruise.

Some of the Israeli passengers responded by singing aboard the MS Crown Iris, operated by Israeli company Mano Maritime, as police struggled to defuse the situation.

Videos showed stranded Israelis singing “Vihiye li od yoter tov” (“And I’ll feel even better”), performed by Sasson Ifram Shaulov, as they waited inside the port.

“We got off the ship and wanted to leave the port, but about ten pro-Palestinian demonstrators stood there with ‘Free Palestine’ signs, shouting and blocking the exit,” passenger Yossi Manor said. “The Crete police are helpless – they closed the gates, and the officers won’t let us out.”

Manor told reporters that, before the blockade, several buses reached the area, but protesters threw stones at them. “There are police everywhere, and the chief of police is here, but they’re afraid of confrontation. They talk to us instead of to the demonstrators,” he said. “They keep saying they’ll move them soon, but it’s been almost an hour and nothing happens.”

Eventually, the remaining passengers were placed on buses, but the pro-Palestinian demonstrators continued blocking their way. Some Israelis clashed with officers, resulting in fines.

Manor and other passengers expressed their anger at Mano Maritime, claiming the company knew about the planned protest in advance.

“Three coast guard ships escorted us on the way to the port, which already seemed suspicious,” he said. “Many passengers are elderly or disabled – people with wheelchairs and walkers – standing in the heat for hours, hoping to get out. It feels like the company doesn’t care.”

This was not the first time an Israeli cruise ship had been blocked by protesters.

In August, pro-Palestinian activists rallied outside a Mano Maritime cruise ship docking in Heraklion, Crete, delaying Israeli tourists until police dispersed the crowd. Demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and chanted “Free Palestine” and “Unwelcome murderers,” denouncing Israeli soldiers vacationing in Greece during Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza.

A similar protest on the Greek island of Syros one week earlier prevented 1,600 passengers from disembarking. Some Israelis staged a counter-protest, waving Israeli flags and singing “Ma’aminim Bnei Ma’aminim” (“Believers, sons of believers”). After hours of delay, the ship was rerouted to Limassol, Cyprus.