Greece promises action after Israeli cruise tourists were threatened by anti-Israel protests

Greece vowed on Tuesday evening to take action after anti-Israel activists left Israeli tourists stranded for hours on a Mano cruise ship due to security threats. Seeking to reassure Israel, Greek authorities promised to “work to distance protests from Israeli tourists in order not to harm their experience.”

All in all, some 1,600 cruise passengers were denied permission to leave the vessel on the Greek island Syros by the ship’s Israeli crew due to a large anti-Israel manifestation. Hours later, the passengers were informed that the ship would leave Greece and instead head to Limassol, Cyprus. 

Some observers described the demonstration as non-violent, and local police pledged to protect the Israeli passengers. However, the ship's Israeli crew, not wanting to take any chances, prevented the tourists from disembarking. Nevertheless, some Israelis staged a counter-protest from aboard the ship, waving Israeli flags in response to the anti-Israel demonstration.

Daniella, a 30-year-old resident from the central Israeli city of Ra’anana, recalled the anti-Israel incident in Greece. 

“There were about 200 protesters at the port entrance with Palestinian flags. They didn’t let us off the ship and even turned back those who had managed to get off. I understand this is the first time the ship docked here, and the protesters knew we were coming and waited for us. Yesterday we docked in Rhodes without any issue at all,” she recalled. 

“Everyone’s in good spirits,” Daniella added. 

Following the incident, Israeli officials stressed that “The authorities are obligated to prevent harm to Israelis.”

An Israeli diplomatic source specified that Jerusalem expects real action by the Greek authorities, emphasizing that “the burden of proof now lies with the Greeks.”

An unnamed official in Jerusalem responded to the controversy in Greece by noting that “These incidents are piling up. And media coverage only amplifies that sense of unease. In absolute terms, there are far fewer [pro-Palestinian] incidents here than in nearly every European capital, from Amsterdam to Paris, from London to Madrid."

Following the incident, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar asked Athens’ top diplomat Giorgos Gerapetritis to find a solution to the problem. 

“The Israeli embassy in Greece is in contact with the authorities about the ship and is closely following the matter. Efforts are underway to ensure the passengers can disembark safely,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced. 

Greece and Israel have in recent years developed close diplomatic, commercial and security ties. 

Yet, there have been previous anti-Israel and anti-Jewish cases in Greece. Last July, Fahad Qubati, an Arab Israeli resident from Nazareth, was violently attacked by an anti-Semitic mob in Greece who mistakenly believed he was Jewish. He was later rushed to Israel for advanced medical treatment. 

Qubati's mother, Jacqueline, recalled the incident. 

"They asked him, 'Where are you from?' and he replied that he was from Israel. At that moment, they started beating him," she said, adding that her son told the attackers that he was Arab and not Jewish. 

"Nothing could persuade them until a Tunisian citizen intervened and helped my son prove he was Arab. Only then did they apologize and flee. It could have ended in murder,” Jacqueline assessed. 

When the attackers saw that the Tunisian man was wearing a Christian Cross, they were finally convinced that Qubati was not Jewish, and left the scene.