The protest against Israeli cruise passengers is planned for Tuesday at 09:00 at Souda port near the city of Chania. This is the third protest this year against the ship, following protests held in the summer and on November 4.

The protest is being led, again, by the teachers' union ELME (the Greek teachers' federation), which will allow teachers to stop classes for three hours (09:00-12:00) to enable them to participate in the protest.

"Soldiers taking a break from killing"

In the teachers' union announcement published Monday morning in media outlets on the island, it stated, "Israel, despite the ceasefire, has not stopped bombing Gaza, killing civilians and advancing in the West Bank. The genocidal policy of the murderous state continues and will continue as long as the occupation exists. There can be no peace without justice."

According to the announcement, the cruise ship is not just transporting tourists from Israel, but "constitutes part of a systematic effort to whitewash the genocide in Gaza and the ethnic cleansing in the West Bank through tourism." The announcement claimed that the ship transports soldiers "taking a break from killing" and as "tourists" walk around Greece singing songs like "Death to Arabs" and "Gaza is a cemetery."

As recalled, during the ship's previous visit to Crete on November 4, police made extensive use of tear gas against protesters and made arrests. Ship passengers were delayed for a long time on buses due to the protest. In the summer, the ship's route caused a chain of protests throughout Greece.

As mentioned, this morning's announcement called on tour guides, port workers, and food service and tourism workers in Crete "to make appropriate decisions and not cooperate, not to serve the murderers from Israel."

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Over the weekend, Dendias presented "Achilles Shield", a major shift in Greece's security doctrine that would place missile batteries on hundreds of Aegean islands. "We will seal the Aegean from the ground", he said in a Friday speech, again calling Turkey "the greatest threat" to Greece. "Greece is defending itself and Turkey is the one issuing threats", he declared. According to him, "the country that represents the most tangible threat to us is producing drones. Based on the information we have, it has more than a million drones ready at this moment".

A significant portion of the weapons systems for the Greek plan is expected to come from Israel, reflecting deepening defense ties between Israel, Greece and Cyprus, who share longstanding hostility toward Turkey. According to reports, Jerusalem and Athens are negotiating a deal worth roughly 3.5 billion dollars that would include air defense systems built by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries: Spyder, Barak MX and David's Sling.

At a weekly press briefing in Ankara, Defense Ministry spokesperson Rear Adm. Zeki Aktürk addressed Dendias's remarks. "All developments in our region, including the military activity of our neighbor Greece, are under close monitoring by us", he said. "Our country's basic priority is for our region, including the Aegean Sea, to be an area of peace and stability. Our expectation is that Greece also demonstrates a similarly constructive approach".

Aktürk described statements by Greek officials as "detached from reality, delusional and contrary to international agreements", and argued that they "damage the positive atmosphere created on the basis of understandings reached between the leaders of the two countries".

He added: "The Turkish armed forces do not pose a threat to anyone who does not threaten them, but they have the power and determination to thwart any threat directed at our country. Initiatives aimed against Turkey have failed in the past and will not succeed now or in the future".

The briefing also noted that Turkey has begun construction of a domestically produced submarine, the first of its kind in the country. Ankara has also signed an agreement to sell a corvette to Romania, marking Turkey's first sale of a naval vessel to a NATO ally. Last week, Turkey announced it had started building a TF-2000 class air-defense destroyer, which will be part of the multilayered "Steel Dome" system the government previously unveiled.

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Several protesters sustained injuries, while others were arrested by police who fired tear gas at the demonstrators. The protest blocked buses transporting ship passengers from Souda port to the nearby city of Chania. Israeli passengers who confronted the protesters and police received citations from authorities, but no Israelis were arrested.

The protest began this morning as the ship docked at Souda port. The Greek teachers' union in Crete, ELME, announced earlier this week that it would mobilize teachers and education workers for the demonstration, even offering payment to teachers who would stop their classes to protest against the Israeli ship. The Alliance for Palestine in Crete joined the teachers' union.

As the ship docked, protesters gathered at the port entrance. Despite a heightened police presence, they managed to stop some Crown Iris passenger buses for an extended period at the port until they were forcibly dispersed. Some angry passengers confronted police, who prevented the buses from leaving the port and received citations for disturbing public order. Protesters threw stones at the buses, but no one was injured.

In the old city at the center of Chania, numerous demonstrators have arrived shouting chants against the Israelis who came from the Mano Maritime vessel. Police deployed with reinforced units in the area to prevent clashes between protesters and Israeli tourists.

This is not the first time pro-Palestinian demonstrators used violence against Crown Iris passengers: in the past, there were violent clashes when the ship docked at Agios Nikolaos port on the island, as well as in the capital Heraklion. Mano Maritime apparently preferred to dock at Souda port, which is significantly more secure as it serves as a US and British military base, however, according to passenger claims, the police failed to secure them.

The people of Syros in Greece block israelis on the Mano Maritime cruise ship: stranded, israeli passengers chant 'may your village burn' pic.twitter.com/wt0Zvb6CZf

— Sarah Wilkinson (@swilkinsonbc) July 22, 2025

 Mano Maritime issued a statement: "The Crown Iris ship arrived this afternoon in Crete. A handful of protesters made noise in front of the ship. Mano Maritime is a private company and expects the Israeli government and Greek authorities to handle the issue. Similar incidents occurred in the past toward Israelis abroad who came to vacation on flights as well. This situation requires treatment by professional entities in the security field. Peace to all passengers."

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Following the increase in Iranian terror activity and the arrests of Sardar Ammar's infrastructure, law enforcement authorities in Australia and Germany took sharp policy steps against senior Iranian officials. Among the steps: the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador from Australia and his designation as an undesirable person, and the summoning of the Iranian ambassador in Germany for a reprimand. These unprecedented steps were intended to send a clear message of zero tolerance for terror activity.

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Unlike the usual route that passes over many countries in central and northern Europe, the plane adhered to the most southern course possible.

According to flight tracking data, so far the plane passed solely through the airspace of Greece and Italy, then continued westward toward the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar – without crossing any other foreign territory. This constituted an unusual step that pointed to the delicate political and legal situation of the prime minister.

The plane did not pass through countries that have not explicitly rejected the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant against Netanyahu, possibly over concern that certain European states might take action against Netanyahu following recent calls to enforce those international warrants.

Aviation experts noted that such a course is particularly unusual since it extends the flight by about 600 kilometers (373 miles) and creates operational constraints, but in this case the security and legal considerations appear to outweigh other concerns.

As it entered the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar, Wing of Zion was expected to continue directly west toward the east coast of the United States, where Netanyahu will land ahead of his scheduled speech at the UN General Assembly in New York.

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A survey conducted by the Greek news site News Break examined current public support in Greece for maintaining the strategic partnership with Israel. The question was phrased unambiguously: Do you agree with continuing the strategic partnership between Greece and Israel?

Seventy-seven percent answered yes, calling Israel a natural ally of Greece. Just 21% opposed the partnership, citing Israel's alleged violations of international law in Gaza. Another 2% said they had no opinion. A total of 5,616 people participated.

The results suggest that while a vocal minority on the Greek left has tried to amplify pro-Palestinian positions, sometimes with media backing, most Greeks side with the center-right government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, which has championed closer ties with Israel in defense and diplomacy.

The partnership is also seen in Athens as a counterweight to Turkey, regarded by many Greeks as the country's biggest threat.

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Dozens of people were taken to hospitals due to smoke inhalation since Tuesday, according to reports from public broadcaster ERT. About 13 firefighters were treated for burns and other injuries, a fire service spokesman said. Nearly 5,000 firefighters, assisted by 33 firefighting aircraft, were deployed from morning hours to control the flames, which are being intensified by winds and hot, dry conditions near Patras, on the tourist islands of Chios and Zakynthos, and at three additional locations on the mainland.

"Wednesday will be another very difficult day, as the risk of forest fires in most areas of the country will be very high," the fire service spokesman said.

Flames and dark smoke spread over a cement factory that was ignited by a forest fire that swept through olive trees and forests and disrupted train traffic near Patras.

"How does it look? It looks like judgment day. We came from Athens with our volunteer association Kalistenis, and we won't be able to do more. God help us and our people here," volunteer firefighter Yorgos Karvanis said, who worked on the fire near Patras.

Authorities issued an evacuation order for residents of a town of about 7,700 people near Patras on Tuesday and issued new warnings on Wednesday, asking residents of two nearby villages to leave their homes. On Chios island, the Coast Guard used boats to evacuate people to safety as flames reached the shores.

Spain, Portugal, Turkey, and the Balkans are also fighting forest fires in recent days, after a heat wave pushed temperatures above 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) in several regions of Europe. In Albania and Montenegro, forest fires have destroyed homes and property since last week.

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The Greek Embassy directed Israel Hayom to government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis, who declared, "The incident in Piraeus is horrific; antisemitism and every form of fascism and racism will not be accepted in Greece."

"Our nation will not permit – and this message must reach both authorities and everyone else, who generally perform excellent work – racist behaviors," Marinakis stated. "We will employ all necessary measures to ensure that in similar situations there will be protection for citizens, regardless of their origin, nationality, religion, or any other factor."

"I believe what occurred in Syros is horrific. No other words can describe it. Nevertheless, I must characterize this as a unique and isolated event, as a Greek government representative. Authorities must take every action to prevent repetition in any future instance."

Greece says NO to Israelis entering Syros: pic.twitter.com/0cjqDKgLBa

— PalMedia (@PalMediaOrg) July 22, 2025

 However, considerable numbers of Greeks on social networks expressed support for these actions.

"Regrettably, certain vocal minorities create confusion. Demonstrating or protesting about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is one matter – naturally permitted, and something about which the Greek government was first to express humanitarian and clear positions. Quite different is when democratic protest transforms into a demonstration, which, in my view, possesses fascist characteristics.

"When you target people based on their origin, nationality, or religion, you establish a fear regime. The ship captain's decision not to allow passenger disembarkation in Syros resulted from this created atmosphere of fear. Anti-racism legislation exists, and authorities must – whether police, as circumstances require, coast guard, or both – implement this law."

Did law violations occur in Syros?

"I'm not asserting illegal activities took place. Police must investigate this with the Justice Ministry regarding every real-time situation that develops. But certainly, once such circumstances arose, authorities should have enforced order somehow and guaranteed safe passenger disembarkation from every perspective."

Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis sought to convey messages not only to Israel but to international tourists. "When next considering passenger and citizen security against any other considerations, security must take priority. I repeat that we support every protest and demonstration conducted within the bounds of the law. The law is explicit."

"Naturally, demonstrating is permitted and represents both human and understandable behavior. But authorities must enforce legal requirements. If citizens require relocation, they should move to appropriate demonstration locations. If arrests become necessary because behavior violates anti-racism statutes, authorities should make arrests. Police maintain absolute societal support from the overwhelming majority. They perform outstanding work – to avoid misunderstanding – in numerous challenging cases under extremely difficult conditions repeatedly."

Has tourism or Greek-Israeli relations suffered damage?

"In my assessment, no. Understandably, such events generate concerns among citizens of affected nations. Again, Greek authorities must navigate the extremely narrow line between demonstrations and actions targeting individuals, regardless of their origin or religion. The former represents democratic activity. The latter constitutes absolute fascism. This we will not permit."

Greek social media responses to the Rhodes incident included opposition to the attacks. "Turkish-origin tourists arrived in Rhodes for vacation, sought out and attacked Israeli-origin tourists? Indeed, the Greek government and police must acknowledge the seriousness of these issues. How can Greek police permit foreign citizens of Turkish origin, Arab-Muslim background, to reach Rhodes and assault other tourists simply because they are Israeli? Obviously, we learn this from Israeli media since Greek authorities apparently attempt concealment, and again – no arrests occurred."

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At 4:36 a.m. local time, one of the teens sent a message to his parents: "Answer quickly, they're chasing us." He then called them to say he had managed to flee the scene. "I jumped over some wall, I'm hiding," he said, uncertain of his friends' whereabouts at the time.

The Israeli Embassy is still looking into the incident in Rhodes and, as of now, is treating it as a criminal matter.

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"There's a small pro-Palestinian protest, and the ship decided not to let anyone off as a safety measure," one passenger told Israel Hayom. 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."

One passenger recounted that after docking, tourists began disembarking and boarding buses for excursions when they were suddenly stopped and told that no one would be allowed off due to the protest. "We don't know anything, are we sailing back? Are we waiting?" she said.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar spoke with his Greek counterpart Giorgos Gerapetritis and requested his intervention to resolve the situation. The Foreign Ministry, via Israel's embassy in Greece, is also monitoring the incident.

According to local media, several dozen protesters gathered at the port to demonstrate against what they called "genocide in Gaza." Last week, activists at the Port of Piraeus attempted to block the unloading of military equipment allegedly en route to Israel.

Tuesday's protest at docks 2 and 3 of the port was led by the ENEDEP container workers' union, with backing from anarchists and members of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE). Union chairman Markos Bekris declared that workers would refuse to unload any cargo linked to military operations. "We won't allow the port to become a logistical hub for the transport of weapons. Our goal is to physically block the unloading," Bekris said.

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