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DW
27-07-2025
- Politics
- DW
Protest against Israeli cruise ship sparks debate in Greece – DW – 07/27/2025
Protesters on the island of Syros said it was unacceptable to welcome Israeli tourists while Palestinians in the Gaza Strip were starving and decried the increasingly close relationship between Israel and Greece. "We owe an apology to these friends of Greece who chose to spend their holidays here and were forcibly denied it by some," Greek Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis wrote on the social media platform X. "Our country remains hospitable to all and antisemitism has no place here!' His comments came in response to last Tuesday's protests on the island of Syros, where around 300 demonstrators assembled at the island's port carrying Palestinian flags and a large banner that said, "Stop the genocide." They were there to meet the MS Crown Iris, a ship owned by the Israeli cruise line, Mano Maritime. The protest was organized by locals who wanted to show that it wasn't acceptable to greet Israeli tourists while Palestinians in Gaza were starving, due to Israel's blockade on aid entering the occupied territory. Around 1,600 passengers were on the ship, which had set sail from Israel on Sunday. Some aboard reacted angrily to the portside protest, waving Israeli flags and even insulting the demonstrators, calling out "may your village burn," a slogan popular with Israeli right-wing extremists. The cruise line ultimately decided the passengers shouldn't disembark at Syros and continued on its journey to Cyprus. It's not often this kind of thing happens in Greece, where there have been fewer pro-Palestinian demonstrations than in many other European countries. But every now and again, there has been some anti-Israel action in the seafaring EU nation. On July 16, dockworkers and activists tried to prevent the unloading of steel meant for military purposes in Israel. The activists said the cargo was transferred from one ship, the Ever Golden, to another, the Cosco Shipping Pisces, in an attempt to keep the cargo "under the radar." The dockworkers' union said that they wouldn't allow the port to become a base for any military actions. There were similar protest actions in October 2024, and these are expected to continue. Meanwhile, the episode on Syros has led to heated debate in Greece. Many locals say the protest was racist and some called the demonstrators "shameless fascists." Others supported the demonstrators, saying the Israeli tourists should be informed of what their government doing in Gaza. Those who are firmly on Israel's side have accused the others of antisemitism. This is despite the fact that among those Greeks are some right-wing extremists who are actually traditionally antisemitic themselves. Now, however, they admire Israel's military strength and see Israel as an ally, mostly against Turkey, but also against Muslims in general, whom they accuse of trying to change the European way of life. The pro-Palestinian group is mostly left wing, who insist their criticism has nothing to do with antisemitism. In fact, they say that antisemitism is being worsened by Israeli actions in Gaza. Opinion polls in Greece suggest that just under half of all locals are neutral about the conflict in Gaza. However, among the other half of the population, those who are not neutral, support for Israel has declined after almost two years of fighting in Gaza. In a survey by the Eteron Institute for Research and Social Change, conducted in late April, interviewees were asked who they most supported in the conflict. Just over 40% answered "neither side." Of the rest, 30% favored the Palestinian side and 17.6% favored Israel. That's a significant change from November 2023 — immediately after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7 — when 34% supported Israel. Further detailed results show that almost 50% of those Greeks who support the conservative ruling party, New Democracy, also support Israel. Those who prefer the far-right party, Voice of Reason, also support Israel. Among those who support PASOK, a social democratic party, only 12% like Israel while 34% are pro-Palestinian. The rest of the PASOK supporters are neutral. Further left though, of the Greeks who support the local Communist party and other left-wing parties, between 74% and 84% are pro-Palestinian. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, a member of New Democracy, supports Israel without reservation and has called Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu "his friend." Mitsotakis actually visited Netanyahu in Israel even after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for the Israeli leader's arrest for crimes against humanity and war crimes. In June 2025, when Israel was targeted by Iran, civilian Israeli airplanes were allowed to take shelter on Greek islands. Netanyahu's own official plane was parked in Athens. For a long time, Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis has been trying to maintain a more balanced stance, remaining in contact with Palestinian leadership and insisting on his support for a two-state solution. Along with 28 other countries, including many European nations, Greece did sign the recent resolution calling on Israel to end the conflict in Gaza and fulfill its humanitarian obligations to the civilian population. Still, left-wing opposition politicians maintain their government's position is wrong and issued a joint statement at the end of May, calling on the Greek government to end military cooperation with Israel. Close cooperation between Israel and Greece began long before Mitsotakis became prime minister. The alliance really became closer around 2008. This was solidified by a flurry of visits of heads of state in 2010 and ever since, there's been strategic cooperation between the two nations. Before that time, relations were cooler. Athens was typically pro-Arab and Greece was the only European country to vote against the United Nations resolution of 1947 that effectively led to the founding of the state of Israel. This was due to Athens' ties with the Arab world. Greece did de facto recognize Israel in 1949, but it wasn't until May 1990 that then-Prime Minister Konstantinos Mitsotakis — the father of Greece's current prime minister — officially recognized Israel and diplomatic relations were normalized. At the same time, Mitsotakis also promoted diplomatic relations with Palestinian leadership. Today, the relationship between the two countries is close, especially in terms of economic, energy and military cooperation. For Israelis, Greece remains an attractive vacation destination — if only because of its geographical proximity — and Greek food and music are very popular in Israel. Many Greek artists regularly perform in Israel. Most recently, popular singer Glykeria faced backlash after announcing she would perform view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Daily Mail
25-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Moment pro-Palestine protesters block Israeli cruise ship passengers from disembarking on Greek island before vessel has to divert to Cyprus
An Israeli cruise ship was forced away from Greece after furious pro-Palestine protesters blocked it from docking. The Crown Iris, which was carrying around 1,700 Israeli nationals, including between 300 to 400 children, was prevented from disembarking at Ermoupoli, in the Greek island of Syros. It was instead diverted to the Port of Limassol in Cyprus, where it arrived on Wednesday. The cruise ship had been met with an anti-Israel demonstration of more than 150 protesters as it attempted to disembark for a six-hour visit on Tuesday. Protesters carried Palestinian flags, chanted and held banners reading 'Stop the Genocide' and 'No a/c in hell' as they formed a line to prevent the Israeli passengers from arriving in Greece. Some passengers responded by waving Israeli flags and singing patriotic songs. 'Inside the ship, we feel safe, but the children are a little stressed,' one passenger told Israeli broadcaster Kan. Initially Mano Maritime, who own the boat, said there would be a 'slight delay' in docking the ship, as they estimated the protest would disperse within half an hour. But as it continued the shipping company skipped Syros and rerouted to Limassol. The Greek coast guard confirmed the ship set sail at around 3pm on Tuesday, earlier than its original schedule. 'The ship arrived at Syros, encountered a demonstration by pro-Palestinian supporters, and passengers were stuck on board without permission to disembark,' Mano Maritime later said. They later added: 'The management of Mano Maritime has decided in light of the situation in the city of Syros to now sail to another tourist destination.' A group called We Stay Active organised the protest. In a social media post they wrote 'residents and visitors to the island state that soldiers, settlers, and supporters of the war and the occupation of Palestine are unwanted on their island.' Following the protest, they added: 'We note that there have been numerous complaints from all over Greece about the provocative behaviour of Israeli tourists, who support genocide and who behave as if our places belong to them. 'We do not want their money! We do not tolerate their presence! Bravo to the residents of Syros!' A further post, once the ship departed, said that 'residents remain on alert in case it tries to return'. 'Of course, those who oppose the war, the occupation, and the genocide are welcome,' it added. The protest was met with rage by Greece's Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis who said it was 'shameful for Greece'. 'We owe an apology to those friends of Greece who chose to spend their holidays here and were forcibly denied that right by some. 'This incident must neither harm our relations with [Israel] nor the love of Israeli tourists for Greece,' he said. Meanwhile, Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar spoke with Greek counterpart Giorgos Gerapetritis on Tuesday and 'requested intervention'. The same ship, the Crown Iris, was last month used to transport Israeli nationals to and from Cyprus after Israel closed its airspace during its 12-day conflict with Iran. It has also been used as part of the country's Operation Safe Return mission to repatriate citizens during conflict.
Metro
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Metro
Pro-Palestine protesters block Israeli cruise ship from docking on Greek island
Israeli passengers on a cruise ship have been blocked from disembarking on a Greek island. Around 150 protesters stopped the Crown Iris from docking on Syros on Tuesday while waving Palestinian flags and holding banners reading 'stop the genocide'. Initially, passengers were supposed to disembark at about 12pm for a six-hour stay on the island, but when the protests continued for more than three hours, the ship decided to reroute. The ship, operated by Israeli company Mano Cruise, is now on its way to Limassol in Cyprus with all of its roughly 1,600 passengers still on board. The protesters were calling for an end to the conflict in Gaza, which has led to 'mass starvation' of the population and dozens of Palestinians 'shot dead by Israeli troops' while seeking aid. A statement from the protesters criticised Greece's close relationship with Israel, saying: 'As residents of Syros but more so as human beings, we are taking action that we hope will contribute to stopping this destruction from the genocidal war that is taking place in our neighbourhood. 'It is unacceptable that tourists from Israel continue to be welcomed here while the Palestinians are suffering in the Strip.' It's understood passengers were not blocked from disembarking the ship by Greek authorities, but instead by its Israeli crew, who feared the protests could turn violent and endanger the passengers if they went ashore. On board staff also told passengers to stay indoors rather than using the deck. In response to the protests, some passengers on the Crown Iris waved Israeli flags, sang songs, or chanted slogans. Mano Maritime said in a statement: 'The ship arrived at Syros, encountered a demonstration by pro-Palestinian supporters, and passengers were stuck on board without permission to disembark. 'The management of Mano Cruise has decided in light of the situation in the city of Syros to now sail to another tourist destination. 'All passengers and crew members are resting and spending time on the ship on their way to the new destination.' Israel's foreign minister has contacted his Greek counterpart over the incident, the Greek foreign ministry said, but no details have been shared about their discussion, the Independent reports. Greece is a popular tourist destination for Israelis – in 2024, around 621,000 Israelis visited the country Adonis Georgiadis, the Greek health minister, called the protests 'offensive' and added: 'I consider what happened to be unthinkable. 'Some people – no matter what their origin, unless the Israelis have lost their human status – have paid for their ticket on their ship and have chosen to vacation in Greece. 'I consider this tragic, very offensive for Greece. I want to apologize to these people. 'I want to send a message of great alliance and friendship to Israel, to say that Israelis are welcome in Greece and that anti-Semitism cannot exist in Greece.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: I've heard enough words – I want more Government action on Israel-Palestine MORE: New £17 travel charge comes into force across popular Greek islands MORE: Lonely Planet founder reveals the Greek island tourists haven't destroyed yet
The Star
23-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Israeli cruise ship docks in Cyprus port after being turned away by protests on Greek island
NICOSIA, July 23 (Xinhua) -- An Israeli cruise ship with 1,600 Israeli nationals on board docked at the Cypriot port of Limassol on Wednesday after it left the Greek island of Syros as a result of a mass protest at the island's port, according to Limassol port authorities. Israeli media reported that the ship, the "Crown Iris", was forced to leave Syros as hundreds of local people gathered at the port to protest Israeli actions in Gaza. The ship's operators, Mano Maritime, said in a statement that the vessel encountered a demonstration by pro-Palestinian supporters at the port of Syros, and passengers were stuck on board without permission to disembark. The Limassol port authorities did not say how long the ship would remain there or whether its passengers would disembark. The "Crown Iris" had been used to transfer thousands of Israelis and third country nationals between Israel and Cyprus in June after Israel closed its airspace during an 11-day missile war with Iran.
Irish Times
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Israeli cruise ship turned away from Greek island by Gaza war protest
A cruise liner carrying Israeli tourists has been forced to reroute to Cyprus after being turned away from the Greek island of Syros after a quayside protest over the Gaza war. Around 1,600 Israeli passengers on board the Crown Iris were prevented from disembarking amid safety concerns. More than 300 demonstrators on the Cycladic isle made clear they were unwelcome over Israel's conduct of the war and treatment of Palestinians in Gaza. A large banner emblazoned with the words 'Stop the Genocide' was held aloft alongside Palestinian flags. A statement from the protesters also took issue with Greece's increasingly close 'economic, technological and military' relationship with Israel. 'As residents of Syros but more so as human beings, we are taking action that we hope will contribute to stopping this destruction from the genocidal war that is taking place in our neighbourhood,' it said. Some passengers on the vessel reacted by raising Israeli flags and chanting patriotic slogans, eyewitnesses said. Confirming the incident, Mano Maritime, the Israeli shipping firm operating the vessel, said: 'The ship arrived at Syros, encountered a demonstration by pro-Palestinian supporters, and passengers were stuck on board without permission to disembark.' Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Saar, contacted his Greek counterpart, George Gerapetritis, over the incident, the Greek foreign ministry confirmed. It did not release any details of their discussion. During the delay at the port, passengers told Israel's Channel 12 news that they had been told by onboard security to remain indoors, rather than to go out onto the deck. One Israeli passenger told Israel's Kan public broadcaster, however, that when one of the passengers saw the protest, 'we raised Israeli flags and some of us started singing'. 'We felt safe inside the ship, but the children are a little stressed,' the passenger said. In recent years, Greece has become popular among Israeli tourists, reflecting the increasingly close ties between the two Mediterranean nations. An estimated 621,000 visited the Hellenic Republic in 2024 alone. Although the protest concluded without injuries nor arrests, the episode highlighted mounting disquiet in Greece over Israel's actions in Gaza. Anti-Israeli graffiti have proliferated across the country, as has signage in support of Palestinians. Israel's national security council's current guidelines for travel to Greece put the country's threat level at two, of a possible four, meaning Israelis and Jews are advised to take 'increased precautionary measures' there. - The Guardian and agencies
