Greece (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Protesters have swarmed the Greek islands trying to prevent Israeli tourists from entering and speaking up against the genocide.
Greece was the last country in Europe to officially recognize Israel in 1990. Since 2010, however, the country has developed relations with Israel with an emphasis on the economy, trade, and energy. Over time, Greek-Israeli relations gained an additional dimension in defence. Meanwhile, Greece has shown interest in Israeli research and innovation, as well. Today, Athens is planning to procure air defense systems from Tel Aviv, and trust in intelligence-sharing between the two countries has deepened.
Amid the Palestinian genocide, many Israelis view Greece as one of the most attractive and safe destinations, leading to a significant increase in investments, primarily in real estate and, to a lesser extent, tourism.
Despite this, Greek citizens do not appear to share this notion, as they have made their disapproval apparent, through protests all over the country taking place over the past year. This summer, their disapproval was made even more evident when protests were held across various islands during tourist season.
Banning entrance to Syros
The first pro-Palestine rally of the summer, took place on Tuesday July 22nd in Syros, prompted by the arrival of the cruise ship Crown Iris, which carried approximately 1.500 Israeli tourists.
According to Cyclades24.gr, participants of the protest included members of local associations and unions, who raised large Palestinian flags and a banner with the slogan “Stop the Genocide”, expressing their opposition to the presence of the cruise ship.
Reports indicate that the Israeli Foreign Ministry intervened, leading to communication between the two countries’ foreign ministers, Giorgos Gerapetritis of Greece and Gideon Sa’ar of Israel, in an effort to resolve the situation at the port, as the Israeli tourists were unable to disembark.
Ultimately, the cruise ship left the port of Ermoupoli in Syros without the tourists disembarking. The protest remained peaceful, and no incidents or violence were reported.
Minister of Citizen Protection Michalis Chrysochoidis, responded to this tension in an interview on local channel, Action24 by noting that “anyone who attempts to prevent a citizen of a third country from entering the country legally will face charges, arrest, and subsequent criminal prosecution under the anti-racism law”.
Mr. Chrysochoidis argued that the prosecutor’s office should have intervened in this case as well and pressed charges against the protesters who prevented the cruise ship tourists from disembarking at the port of Syros.
“Wherever such incidents occur again, arrests will be made. From now on, the police will also step in”
He added.
A wave of resistance
On Monday July 28th, many citizens of Rhodes gathered at its port, protesting the disembarkation of the same Israeli passengers onto the island. Local authorities proceeded with 8 arrests this time. After the tension had died down, the cruise ship’s passengers were seen dancing in the street and shared content on social media waving the Israeli flag.
On Tuesday July 29th, protesters showed up at Agios Nikolaos’s port in Crete too, demanding that awareness be spread about this matter and trying to prevent yet again Crown Iris’s passengers to disembark. Once again, the police intervend.
According to the organizers of the protest, the Initiative of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the ship symbolizes the ongoing siege of the Palestinian people, and its presence in Greek ports cannot be considered “tourist neutrality.”
