Pro-Palestinian groups in Greece were set to stage a coordinated “Day of Action” targeting Israeli tourists on Sunday.
Organized by March to Gaza Greece, Palestinian Community Greece, and BDS Greece, the aim of protests was to disrupt the experiences of Israeli visitors and call for Greece to reject becoming a “safe haven” for Israelis, whom the protesters accuse of complicity in genocide.
The initiative came amid a series of escalating anti-Israel incidents in Greece, a popular vacation spot for Israelis. Organizers have used social media to promote the event, urging demonstrators to take over Greece’s islands and beaches, transforming these spaces of relaxation into sites of “solidarity.” Slogans such “Not in our land, not in our name” are being spread across platforms, inciting opposition to Israeli tourism and promoting harmful accusations of genocide.
“Let’s turn the islands, beaches, alleys, mountaintops, and shelters into places of solidarity — not relaxation for the murderous IDF soldiers,” the “Day of Action” announcement declared. “The organized effort to make Greece a ‘refuge’ for those who participate in or support the massacre in Palestine will not pass!”
Greece for 🇵🇸 Palestine
10.08.2025.
Action day in touristic areas against genocide in #Gaza and those who support it.#antireport
More than 100 cities, islands and villages will participate 🍉 #notInOurLand#notInOurName
— NoBorders (@Refugees_Gr) August 8, 2025
Turning Tourist Spots into Battlegrounds
The groups behind the protests encouraged participants to use keffiyehs, Palestinian flags, and banners to amplify their message. Some posts have dangerously engaged in Holocaust inversion, grotesquely comparing the situation in Gaza to the atrocities of the Holocaust in a blatant attempt to demonize Israel. March to Gaza Greece has also called for Greece to adopt an arms embargo against Israel and sever military cooperation. The groups have labeled Israeli tourists as “suspects” for war crimes, ignoring the fact that many are simply visiting for vacation.
The “Day of Action” is part of a larger backdrop of rising violence toward Israelis in Greece. In recent weeks, pro-Palestinian protesters blocked the Crown Iris, a cruise ship with over 1,600 Israeli passengers, from docking at Syros, forcing it to divert to Cyprus. Later that week, demonstrators attempted to block another Israeli cruise ship from docking at Rhodes. Unlike the first incident, this time, the ship was able to dock, and passengers disembarked without major issues. However, this follows a disturbing trend of hostility toward Israeli tourists, including assaults on Israeli teens and vandalism of Jewish businesses, including King David Burger in Athens.
The protests in Greece are not an isolated event but part of a larger, disturbing global trend. Since the October 7 massacre, when Hamas brutally murdered 1,200 Israelis, antisemitic rhetoric and violence have surged worldwide. From Europe to North America to Australia, anti-Israel protests have turned into direct attacks on Jewish individuals and property. In many cases, Jews are being collectively blamed for the actions of the Israeli government, further stoking a dangerous climate of discrimination and violence.
The rise in antisemitism, especially during times of heightened political tension, demonstrates that these protests in Greece are not merely about opposition to Israeli policies. They represent a broader shift toward the normalization of antisemitic sentiment, where Israelis and Jews are targeted, not for their actions but simply for their national and religious identities.
