By: Tzirel Rosenblatt

The rising tide of antisemitic violence in Europe reached another alarming milestone this week as anti-Israel rioters on the Greek island of Crete physically assaulted Israeli tourists disembarking from the MS Crown Iris, an Israeli cruise ship operated by Mano Maritime. The incident, which occurred on Thursday, represents the third time in a single month that Israeli tourists have been targeted by violent demonstrators in Greek ports.

According to a report that appeared on Friday in The Algemeiner, the demonstration turned violent when approximately 25 pro-Palestinian activists gathered at the island’s main port, waving Palestinian flags and carrying banners accusing Israel of “genocide” in Gaza. As passengers attempted to disembark, rioters hurled rocks and metal bars, forcing many tourists to retreat to the safety of the ship. The violent clashes prompted Greek police to shut down the port temporarily and order all passengers back onboard.

Witnesses reported that what began as a protest quickly escalated into targeted violence. The Algemeiner report described scenes of chaos as police struggled to hold back the demonstrators while tourists—many of them families—attempted to step ashore. When police advised passengers to return to the ship, protesters blocked exit routes, leaving disembarkation impossible.

Greek riot police were eventually deployed, dispersing the crowd with pepper spray and detaining four of the protesters. Nonetheless, several passengers suffered injuries in the melee, according to local reports cited in The Algemeiner report.

The violent episode draws attention to a disturbing trend: the deliberate targeting of Jewish and Israeli travelers as proxies for political grievances over the Gaza conflict. “This is no longer about protests,” a Greek official told reporters. “It is intimidation, violence, and blatant antisemitism directed against people simply because they are Israeli.”

Thursday’s attack is not an isolated incident. As The Algemeiner report highlighted, the MS Crown Iris and its passengers have become repeated targets of anti-Israel protests in Greece.

Last month, nearly 1,600 Israeli passengers aboard the same vessel were blocked from disembarking at the island of Syros after a protest by roughly 300 demonstrators erupted on the dock. While police attempted to keep the crowd under control, safety concerns forced Mano Maritime to divert the ship to Limassol, Cyprus. Videos shared on social media showed protesters waving Palestinian flags and chanting antisemitic slogans, with banners reading “Stop the Genocide” and even grotesque slogans such as “No AC in Hell.”

In another incident, pro-Palestinian demonstrators attempted to block Israeli passengers from disembarking on the island of Rhodes. According to the information provided in The Algemeiner report, more than 600 tourists were prevented from safely leaving the ship until Greek riot police intervened. Footage from the scene showed demonstrators clashing with security forces while shouting “Freedom for Palestine” and accusing Israelis of war crimes.

The repeated disruption of Israeli cruises has prompted Mano Maritime to review its itineraries and port security arrangements. The company, according to the report in The Algemeiner, has described the situation as unprecedented and deeply concerning for passengers’ safety.

The Greek government has been quick to condemn the violence. Michalis Chrysochoidis, Greece’s Minister of Citizen Protection, issued a strongly worded statement vowing prosecution against those who obstruct the legal entry of foreign visitors.

“Anyone who tries to prevent a foreign national from legally entering the country will face prosecution, arrest, and then criminal proceedings under the anti-racism law,” Chrysochoidis declared. His comments, reported in The Algemeiner, shed light on the seriousness with which Greek authorities are treating these incidents.

However, questions remain about the ability of local police and port authorities to ensure the safety of Israeli visitors, especially as the attacks grow bolder and more coordinated.

The violence against Israeli cruise passengers is part of a broader surge of antisemitic incidents across Greece since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 massacre in Israel, which left over 1,200 dead and more than 250 abducted.

As The Algemeiner has documented, Greek restaurants, tavernas, and cultural institutions have also been targeted. Just last week, a group of Israeli tourists from London were thrown out of a Crete taverna and branded “baby killers” by the pro-Palestinian owner. In Athens, an Israeli restaurant was vandalized with antisemitic graffiti including slogans such as “No Zionist is safe here,” while attackers shouted slurs and posted a sign accusing IDF soldiers of war crimes.

In June, an Israeli tourist was beaten by anti-Israel activists in Athens after they overheard him using Hebrew while navigating with Google Maps. According to the information contained in The Algemeiner report, the attackers began assaulting him physically while shouting antisemitic slogans, calling attention to the vulnerability of Jewish visitors simply for speaking their native language.

The attacks on tourists highlight a climate of intimidation that goes well beyond political protest. Analysts quoted by The Algemeiner argue that the campaign to disrupt Israeli cruise liners, restaurants, and tourist activity is part of a broader attempt to make Greece inhospitable to Jewish visitors and to normalize hostility against Israelis in European public life.

These demonstrations, while couched in the rhetoric of Palestinian solidarity, often deploy nakedly antisemitic slogans and tactics. By physically assaulting tourists and attempting to boycott businesses linked to Israel, activists cross the line from protest into hate crime.

The fear is that such intimidation may discourage Jewish tourism to Greece altogether, undermining both the safety of visitors and the economic interests of local communities that depend on international travelers.

The recurring violence against Israelis in Greece carries broader international implications. Israel and Greece have in recent years developed closer diplomatic and security ties, including cooperation on energy projects in the Eastern Mediterranean. Incidents like those in Crete, Rhodes, and Syros risk straining those ties, especially if Israeli officials and citizens come to perceive Greece as unsafe.

According to the information in The Algemeiner report, Jewish organizations in Europe and the United States have already begun pressing Athens to take stronger measures to prevent attacks. Calls have been made for increased port security, stricter enforcement of anti-racism laws, and tougher penalties against rioters who target Jewish and Israeli visitors.

The incidents in Greece are symptomatic of a wider European trend. Since October 2023, antisemitic hate crimes have surged across the continent, with Jewish schools, synagogues, and businesses facing vandalism and threats. The Algemeiner has chronicled similar demonstrations outside cultural institutions in France, the United Kingdom, and Germany, where anti-Israel protests often blur seamlessly into antisemitic intimidation.

In this context, the violent targeting of Israeli tourists in Greece underscores the increasingly transnational character of antisemitic activism. Whether in Athens or Berlin, demonstrators are attempting to export Middle Eastern conflict into European streets and public spaces, with Jews frequently paying the price.

For Israel and Jewish communities worldwide, the lesson is clear: vigilance is required, alliances must be reinforced, and antisemitic violence must be met with unambiguous condemnation and firm legal consequences. Anything less risks emboldening extremists and deepening a climate of fear for Jews abroad.