Latest news with #PASOK
Daily Tribune
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Tribune
Athens mayor clashes with Israel ambassador over antisemitic graffiti
The mayor of Athens became embroiled in a war of words Sunday with the Israeli ambassador to Greece who accused city authorities of not doing enough to clean up antisemitic graffiti. Ambassador Noam Katz told the Kathimerini daily in comments published Sunday that Israeli tourists felt "uncomfortable" in Athens because the mayor Haris Doukas does not act against "organised minorities" who put up anti-Jewish graffiti. Doukas responded within hours on X: We have proved our strong opposition to violence and racism and we do not take lessons in democracy from those who kill civilians." "Athens, capital of a democratic country, fully respects its visitors and supports the right of free expression of its citizens," the Socialist PASOK party mayor added. "It is revolting that the ambassador concentrates on graffiti (that is clearly wiped off ) while an unprecedented genocide is taking place in Gaza," Doukas added. Greece, as well as several other European nations, has seen a number of left-wing led pro-Palestinian demonstrations. A cruise ship carrying Israeli tourists around the Greek islands was greeted by demonstrations in several ports. While following a pro-Arab policy for several decades, Greece has since 2010 stepped up links with Israel, notably on security and energy. Since the Gaza war started in October 2023, with the Hamas attack on Israel, a growing number of Israelis have visited Greece and started investing in its property market. According to the Athens mayor, the number of Israelis who have secured Greek residents permits by buying property increased by 90 percent last year.
Business Recorder
6 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Antisemitic graffiti: Athens mayor clashes with Israel ambassador
ATHENS: The mayor of Athens became embroiled in a war of words Sunday with the Israeli ambassador to Greece who accused city authorities of not doing enough to clean up antisemitic graffiti. Ambassador Noam Katz told the Kathimerini daily in comments published Sunday that Israeli tourists felt 'uncomfortable' in Athens because the mayor Haris Doukas does not act against 'organised minorities' who put up anti-Jewish graffiti. Doukas responded within hours on X: We have proved our strong opposition to violence and racism and we do not take lessons in democracy from those who kill civilians.' 'Athens, capital of a democratic country, fully respects its visitors and supports the right of free expression of its citizens,' the Socialist PASOK party mayor added. 'It is revolting that the ambassador concentrates on graffiti (that is clearly wiped off) while an unprecedented genocide is taking place in Gaza,' Doukas added. Greece, as well as several other European nations, has seen a number of left-wing led pro-Palestinian demonstrations. A cruise ship carrying Israeli tourists around the Greek islands was greeted by demonstrations in several ports. While following a pro-Arab policy for several decades, Greece has since 2010 stepped up links with Israel, notably on security and energy. Since the Gaza war started in October 2023, with the Hamas attack on Israel, a growing number of Israelis have visited Greece and started investing in its property market. According to the Athens mayor, the number of Israelis who have secured Greek residents permits by buying property increased by 90 percent last year.
Al-Ahram Weekly
6 days ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Athens mayor fires back at Israel on Gaza genocide amid graffiti row - War on Gaza
The mayor of Athens on Sunday slammed Israel for its genocide in Gaza, saying Greece would not take lessons in democracy from 'those who kill civilians,' after the Israeli ambassador accused city authorities of failing to remove what he alleged was antisemitic graffiti. Israel has frequently labelled solidarity with Palestinians suffering under its 22-month genocidal war on Gaza as antisemitism and sought to broaden the definition to include any legitimate criticism of its war crimes in the devastated territory. Haris Doukas, the Socialist PASOK mayor, responded sharply after Israeli ambassador Noam Katz said Israeli tourists felt "uncomfortable" in Athens because the mayor "does not act against organised minorities" responsible for anti-Israel graffiti. "We have proved our strong opposition to violence and racism and we do not take lessons in democracy from those who kill civilians," Doukas wrote on X. "Athens, capital of a democratic country, fully respects its visitors and supports the right of free expression of its citizens," he added. "It is revolting that the ambassador concentrates on graffiti (that is clearly wiped off) while an unprecedented genocide is taking place in Gaza." Since Israel's genocidal war on Gaza began in October 2023, nearly 60,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, according to Gaza health officials, with much of the strip reduced to rubble. Independent estimates suggest the death toll is significantly higher. The war has been compounded by Israel's five-month blockade that has pushed Gaza's 2.3 million people into famine. Six more Palestinians have died from starvation in the past 24 hours due to the deadly Israeli blockade, bringing the total number of hunger-related deaths in Gaza to 175, including 93 children. UN experts, legal scholars, and human rights organisations have all recognised the war in Gaza as a genocide. Greece, like several other European countries, has seen repeated pro-Palestinian demonstrations, many of them led by left-wing and student groups. A cruise ship carrying Israeli tourists around the Greek islands was met with protests at several ports in recent weeks. While Greece followed a pro-Arab foreign policy for decades, it has deepened ties with Israel since 2010, particularly in defence and energy cooperation. Demonstrators in Greece stopped Israeli tourists from disembarking a cruise ship on the Greek island of Syros, in protest of Israel's genocide in Gaza and the Greek government's relationship with Israel. — AJ+ (@ajplus) July 28, 2025 Since the start of the war, an increasing number of Israelis have visited Greece and invested in its real estate market, according to AFP. Doukas said the number of Israelis obtaining Greek residence permits through property purchases rose by 90 percent last year. Although the Greek government maintains close ties with Israel, many officials and large sections of the public have been critical of its war on Gaza and of efforts to label any criticism of that war as antisemitism. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Khaleej Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Greece: War of words between Athens mayor, Israeli ambassador over street graffiti
The mayor of Athens became embroiled in a war of words Sunday with the Israeli ambassador to Greece, who accused city authorities of not doing enough to clean up antisemitic graffiti. Ambassador Noam Katz told the Kathimerini daily in comments published Sunday that Israeli tourists felt "uncomfortable" in Athens because the mayor, Haris Doukas, does not act against "organised minorities" who put up anti-Jewish graffiti. Doukas responded within hours on X: We have proved our strong opposition to violence and racism, and we do not take lessons in democracy from those who kill civilians." "Athens, capital of a democratic country, fully respects its visitors and supports the right of free expression of its citizens," the Socialist PASOK party mayor added. "It is revolting that the ambassador concentrates on graffiti (that is clearly wiped off) while an unprecedented genocide is taking place in Gaza," Doukas added. Greece, as well as several other European nations, has seen a number of left-wing-led pro-Palestinian demonstrations. A cruise ship carrying Israeli tourists around the Greek islands was greeted by demonstrations in several ports. While following a pro-Arab policy for several decades, Greece has since 2010 stepped up links with Israel, notably on security and energy. Since the Gaza war started in October 2023, with the Hamas attack on Israel, a growing number of Israelis have visited Greece and started investing in its property market. According to the Athens mayor, the number of Israelis who have secured Greek resident permits by buying property increased by 90 per cent last year.
New Straits Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Athens mayor, Israeli envoy clash over antisemitic graffiti
ATHENS: The mayor of Athens became embroiled in a war of words Sunday with the Israeli ambassador to Greece who accused city authorities of not doing enough to clean up antisemitic graffiti. Ambassador Noam Katz told the Kathimerini daily in comments published Sunday that Israeli tourists felt "uncomfortable" in Athens because the mayor Haris Doukas does not act against "organised minorities" who put up anti-Jewish graffiti. Doukas responded within hours on X: We have proved our strong opposition to violence and racism and we do not take lessons in democracy from those who kill civilians." "Athens, capital of a democratic country, fully respects its visitors and supports the right of free expression of its citizens," the Socialist PASOK party mayor added. "It is revolting that the ambassador concentrates on graffiti (that is clearly wiped off) while an unprecedented genocide is taking place in Gaza," Doukas added. Greece, as well as several other European nations, has seen a number of left-wing led pro-Palestinian demonstrations. A cruise ship carrying Israeli tourists around the Greek islands was greeted by demonstrations in several ports. While following a pro-Arab policy for several decades, Greece has since 2010 stepped up links with Israel, notably on security and energy. Since the Gaza war started in October 2023, with the Hamas attack on Israel, a growing number of Israelis have visited Greece and started investing in its property market. According to the Athens mayor, the number of Israelis who have secured Greek residents permits by buying property increased by 90 percent last year.--AFP
