The Israeli Foreign Ministry on Sunday night warned citizens in Greece to briefly stay away from the embassy in Athens and avoid the public display of Israeli and Jewish symbols, among other security measures, ahead of far-left and pro-Palestinian protests that turned violent.
The notice, which was issued for several hours and ended at midnight, also urged Israelis to steer clear of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the U.S. consulate in the Greek port city.
In a Hebrew-language statement, Jerusalem warned of “unusual demonstrations in these areas, with fears that anti-Israel elements will participate and that there will be displays of violence.”
Viki Sarkov, an Israeli living in Athens, explained to Maariv on Sunday that the rallies were called under the pretext of the commemoration of the 1973 Athens Polytechnic uprising, which was a massive student demonstration against the Greek military junta of 1967-1974.
Sarkov noted that considering the ongoing wars on Israel’s southern and northern borders, “pro-Palestinian demonstrators might join, so for safety reasons, it’s best to stay away from such riots on days like this.”
As the annual commemoration is often marred by far-left violence, at least 5,500 police officers were deployed, according to AFP. Security forces were backed by riot squads, drones and helicopters monitoring key locations, including at the American and Israeli embassies, Greek police announced.
More than 110 people were detained during checks carried out before the march in Athens. In Thessaloniki, rioters hurled Molotov cocktails at police. Officers responded with tear gas and flash bombs.
The Israeli National Security Council has not raised its travel warning for Greece, which remains at level two, or “Potential Threat,” out of four. Israelis in the country are advised to “exercise increased precaution.”
On Nov. 7, Arab mobs carried out a series of antisemitic assaults against visiting Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam, which resulted in five moderate injuries and about 20 to 30 minor ones.
One week later, at a soccer game between the national teams of Israel and France near Paris, at least one brawl in the stands and several low-intensity clashes occurred outside the Stade de France venue.
The National Security Council has also recently warned Israelis abroad of foiled terrorist plots targeting Israeli travelers and local Jewish communities, including in Thailand and Sri Lanka.
