The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem is advising Israelis currently in Greece to exercise caution on Sunday during a planned “Day of Action” by anti-Israel organizations.
The ministry warned travelers this weekend of “demonstrations expected to take place throughout the country—including on islands and at tourist sites—organized by radical pro-Palestinian groups.”
Israeli visitors are urged to avoid protests, refrain from engaging in political arguments or displaying visible Israeli symbols, and stay alert in crowded places.
Greek leftist groups have called for demonstrations targeting Israeli tourists over the war against Hamas in Gaza.
The planned protests come amid a surge in anti-Israel incidents across Greece, which is the top tourist destination for Israelis this summer.
Last month, an Israeli tourist was assaulted by a group of Syrian migrants at a beach near Athens, with one of them reportedly biting off a piece of his ear.
Two coaches from Israel’s national soccer team were attacked in Athens in July while speaking Hebrew, and a kosher burger eatery in the city was vandalized, in full view of staff and patrons.
The socialist mayor of Athens, Haris Doukas, lashed out at Israel’s ambassador to Greece last week after the envoy denounced antisemitic graffiti in the city, accusing Jerusalem of deliberately targeting civilians and carrying out an “unprecedented genocide” in Gaza.
“The conflict has become a convenient excuse for extremists in Greek society—especially those aligned with pro-Palestinian causes—to express hostility toward Israel,” the Athens-born Benjamin Albalas, chairman of the March of the Living Europe, said in a statement released on Friday. “Among leftist parties, there’s a kind of competition to appear the most sympathetic to Hamas and the Palestinians of Gaza.”
The 88-year-old Holocaust survivor expressed hope that Greek authorities would enforce anti-racism laws more strictly, especially when it comes to Palestinian activism.
“The events of October 7 can be seen as a ‘small Holocaust,’ and we must remain vigilant,” Albalas said.
