Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar contacted his Greek counterpart, Giorgos Gerapetritis, regarding one recent incident, and the Athens government pledged to adopt a harsher stance and use anti-racist legislation to crack down on protesters.
“Anyone who attempts to prevent a third-country national from entering the country legally will be prosecuted, arrested and subsequently subject to criminal proceedings under anti-racism legislation,” Minister for Public Order Michalis Chrisochoidis said last week.
On Tuesday afternoon, demonstrators unfurled a huge Palestinian flag and shouted, “Free, free Palestine” as tourists disembarked the Crown Iris from Israel for bus tours of the island.
According to local media reports, scuffles broke out between riot police and protesters. Police used pepper spray to disperse the crowd and detained four people.
This is the third similar incident in a week. On Monday, a fracas took place when another cruise ship carrying 600 Israelis docked in Rhodes. Organizers said 13 people were detained during the demonstration.
Last Tuesday, the Crown Iris docked at the island of Syros, but its passengers didn’t disembark after protesters demonstrated at the port. Some passengers reacted by waving Israeli flags and chanting against the demonstrators. The cruise ship eventually departed for Cyprus.