A small-scale pro-Palestinian rally by protesters on the small Saronic Gulf island of Agistri turned into a verbal confrontation on Sunday afternoon after demonstrators unexpectedly encountered a group of Israeli vacationers.
Videos posted on social media showed tense exchanges and gestures between demonstrators and the Israeli tourists. One demonstrator who posted footage claimed that ” pushing and elbowing” occurred and that “attempts were made to take (protesters’) mobile phones”.
Verdant Agistri lies 28 kilometers southwest of Piraeus and near the larger island of Aegina. It constitutes a popular near-Athens destination for holiday makers.
Coast guard personnel manning the harbor and police officers stationed on the island intervened to separate the two groups. No injuries or detentions had been reported as of Monday, and no official reference was made to violence.
The incident occurred against the backdrop of a handful of, at times, tense but generally limited protests involving Israeli tourists in Greece since the outbreak of the Gaza war.
In June, a confrontation was reported at the port of Piraeus as demonstrators gathered over the arrival of the Crown Iris, an Israeli cruise ship. Earlier protests were also held on Syros, Rhodes and at the port city of Agios Nikolaos on Crete. In Volos last August a group of about three dozen protesters blocked a road in an attempt to stop a coach carrying Israeli tourists.
The protests remain small in comparison with much larger pro-Palestinian mobilizations seen in other European countries.
In the broader geopolitical sense, Greece and Israel have developed what both current governments describe as a strategic partnership, with cooperation extending across defense, cybersecurity, energy and other areas. The relationship has continued to deepen despite disagreements and public reaction in Athens over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
The Israeli market is also significant for Greek tourism as roughly 621,000 Israeli tourists visited Greece in 2024, making Israel one of the east Mediterranean country’s important source markets. In 2025, more than 1.36 million airline seats were scheduled between Israel and Greece, a 45.8% increase from the previous year, reflecting strong demand before regional conflict disrupted travel.
