Greece is facing diplomatic and political fallout after Israeli tourists aboard a cruise ship were blocked from setting foot on the island of Syros earlier this week, prompting swift Israeli complaints and revealing possible “cracks” within the Greek government over how the incident was handled.
The controversy unfolded on Tuesday, July 22, when the Crown Iris, an Israeli-flagged cruise ship, attempted to dock at the port of Ermoupoli, the capital of Syros, in the Cyclades chain. Instead, it was met by a large and peaceful demonstration of more than 300 people, including what media described as local residents, union members and individuals affiliated with pro-Palestinian groups protesting Israel’s actions in Gaza and denouncing what they claim is the “genocide of the Palestinian people.”
Protesters waved Palestinian flags and held banners reading “Stop the Genocide,” while marching through the port town’s streets.
Due to security concerns and the scale of the protest, the Israeli passengers were not allowed to disembark. According to some Israeli officials quoted in the Times of Israel, the decision may have been made by the ship’s crew as a precaution. However, the images of the blockade drew immediate attention—and backlash—from Tel Aviv.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said he contacted Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis to request immediate intervention to allow the ship to dock. The precise content of the conversation has not been made public.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry has remained in close contact with its embassy in Athens and emphasized the need to prevent any escalation that might harm bilateral relations or Greece’s image as a tourist destination.
In Athens, the Greek government scrambled to contain the fallout. On Wednesday, government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis issued a blunt assessment of the events and publicly apologized to the Israeli tourists: “The laws apply and must be enforced. It was a bad handling. It was not a good day, and it is unacceptable from every perspective. We owe those people an apology,” Marinakis said, speaking during a regular briefing of political correspondents.
He added, “Some people were unable to disembark in this particular case, and there is no need to turn black into white. That day and that moment were not honorable for our democracy.”
Addressing the nature of the protest, Marinakis continued, “In our country, fascist logic, antisemitism, and the intimidation of people because of their religion or origin have no place. For those who staged this protest, their stance is beyond any logic within a democracy.”
While reaffirming Greece’s humanitarian position on the Gaza conflict, Marinakis drew a clear boundary, “We were among the first countries to speak up for the protection of civilians in Gaza, but there is a red line that must not be crossed—and next time, the law must be enforced. The way this protest was carried out shows us another face of fascism. We are telling the authorities: the application of the law is not up for negotiation.”
The incident has exposed underlying tensions within the Greek government itself. While the official response sought to de-escalate the situation diplomatically, the events have reignited debate over Greece’s position on the Israel–Gaza conflict, domestic public sentiment, and the government’s balancing act between international alliances and local activism.
At the same time, the government is sensitive to the specific issue, highlighted by a separate public clash earlier in the week over media ethics between Minister Akis Skertsos and journalist Marianna Pyrgioti, who previously served as general director of the Konstantinos G. Karamanlis” Foundation up until 2015. The elder Karamanlis founded the current ruling party, conservative New Democracy (ND), in 1974.
While unrelated to the Syros incident, the controversy revealed opposing views within the government at a sensitive diplomatic moment.
