Israeli passengers on a cruise ship have been blocked from disembarking on a Greek island.
Around 150 protesters stopped the Crown Iris from docking on Syros on Tuesday while waving Palestinian flags and holding banners reading ‘stop the genocide’.
Initially, passengers were supposed to disembark at about 12pm for a six-hour stay on the island, but when the protests continued for more than three hours, the ship decided to reroute.
The ship, operated by Israeli company Mano Cruise, is now on its way to Limassol in Cyprus with all of its roughly 1,600 passengers still on board.
The protesters were calling for an end to the conflict in Gaza, which has led to ‘mass starvation’ of the population and dozens of Palestinians ‘shot dead by Israeli troops’ while seeking aid.
A statement from the protesters criticised Greece’s close relationship with Israel, saying: ‘As residents of Syros but more so as human beings, we are taking action that we hope will contribute to stopping this destruction from the genocidal war that is taking place in our neighbourhood.
‘It is unacceptable that tourists from Israel continue to be welcomed here while the Palestinians are suffering in the Strip.’
It’s understood passengers were not blocked from disembarking the ship by Greek authorities, but instead by its Israeli crew, who feared the protests could turn violent and endanger the passengers if they went ashore.
On board staff also told passengers to stay indoors rather than using the deck.
In response to the protests, some passengers on the Crown Iris waved Israeli flags, sang songs, or chanted slogans.
Mano Maritime said in a statement: ‘The ship arrived at Syros, encountered a demonstration by pro-Palestinian supporters, and passengers were stuck on board without permission to disembark.
‘The management of Mano Cruise has decided in light of the situation in the city of Syros to now sail to another tourist destination.
‘All passengers and crew members are resting and spending time on the ship on their way to the new destination.’
Israel’s foreign minister has contacted his Greek counterpart over the incident, the Greek foreign ministry said, but no details have been shared about their discussion, the Independent reports.
Greece is a popular tourist destination for Israelis – in 2024, around 621,000 Israelis visited the country
Adonis Georgiadis, the Greek health minister, called the protests ‘offensive’ and added: ‘I consider what happened to be unthinkable.
‘Some people – no matter what their origin, unless the Israelis have lost their human status – have paid for their ticket on their ship and have chosen to vacation in Greece.
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‘I consider this tragic, very offensive for Greece. I want to apologize to these people.
‘I want to send a message of great alliance and friendship to Israel, to say that Israelis are welcome in Greece and that anti-Semitism cannot exist in Greece.’
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