Pro-Palestinian protesters gather at the port of Syros, Greece, blocking an Israeli cruise ship from docking and disembarking. Photo: Screenshot

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar urged his Greek counterpart, Giorgos Gerapetritis, to take action after pro-Palestinian protesters prevented hundreds of Israeli passengers from disembarking a cruise ship near the island of Syros.

On Tuesday, approximately 1,600 Israeli passengers expecting a peaceful stop on their cruise were unable to disembark from a ship docked on the island of Syros — located in the central Aegean Sea — after large anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian protests erupted at the port, raising safety concerns.

In a statement, the Israeli Foreign Ministry reported that Saar “requested [Gerapetritis’] intervention in an effort to resolve the docking of the ship in Greece.”

Departing from Haifa in northern Israel on Sunday, the MS Crown Iris — owned by Israeli cruise line Mano Maritime and flying a Panamanian flag — stopped in Rhodes, a Greek island in the southeastern Aegean, and was scheduled to dock in Syros.

Amid the large anti-Israel protest, the cruise company chose to divert the ship to Limassol, Cyprus, rather than attempt to disembark at Syros, according to Hebrew media reports.

Όπως ήρθε-έφυγε από τη #Σύρο το κρουαζιερόπλοιο Crown Iris που μετέφερε Ισραηλινούς τουρίστες αφού κάτοικοι & φορείς που αντιδρούν στη γενοκτονία στην #παλαιστινη βρέθηκαν στο λιμάνι παρεμποδίζοντας την αποβίβασή τους! #antireport #FreePalestine #Συρος pic.twitter.com/ssqg9WzkAm

— Μένουμε Ενεργοί – Ενημέρωση, Αγώνας, Αλληλεγγύη (@menoume_energoi) July 22, 2025

Around 300 protesters gathered at the dock to protest against the war in Gaza, while Syros Port Authority police guarded the area and intervened to prevent violence until the ship departed.

In videos circulating on social media, protesters are seen waving Palestinian flags and holding banners with slogans such as “Stop the Genocide” and “No AC [Air Conditioning] in Hell,” while chanting antisemitic slogans.

Other footage captures Israeli passengers responding by waving Israeli flags and chanting “Am Yisrael Chai,” which means “The people of Israel live.”

Hundreds of Israelis aboard a Mano Maritime cruise ship were stranded at the port of Syros, Greece, after pro-Palestinian protesters blocked them from disembarking pic.twitter.com/npWwMDLPbW

— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) July 22, 2025

Since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, antisemitic incidents have surged to alarming levels across Europe. This recent incident appears to be just one of the latest in a wave of anti-Jewish hate crimes that Greece and other countries have witnessed in recent months.

Last week in Athens, a group of pro-Palestinian activists vandalized an Israeli restaurant, shouting antisemitic slurs and spray-painting graffiti with slogans such as “No Zionist is safe here.”

The attackers also posted a sign on one of the restaurant’s windows that read, “All IDF soldiers are war criminals — we don’t want you here,” referring to the Israel Defense Forces.

Last month, an Israeli tourist was attacked by a group of pro-Palestinian activists after they overheard him using Google Maps in Hebrew while navigating through Athens.

When the attackers realized the victim was speaking Hebrew, they began physically assaulting him while shouting antisemitic slurs.

Although local police arrived promptly, a large crowd had already gathered outside the restaurant where the victim had sought shelter.

At first, authorities mistakenly arrested the victim, accusing him of the attack. However, after video footage clarified the situation, they apologized and took him to the nearest hospital.