An Israeli tourist was assaulted in Athens on Monday by a pro-Palestinian mob after his mobile phone was heard giving directions in Hebrew. The incident, captured on video and broadcast by Israel’s Channel 12, is the latest in a disturbing series of antisemitic attacks targeting Israelis in the Greek capital, reports Jewish News Syndicate.
“I was walking to the gym with my phone in hand when four men heard the Hebrew and asked if I was Israeli,” the victim told Morning News host Niv Raskin. “I said yes and kept walking, but they started cursing at me and chasing me.”
Footage shows a man with a British or Irish accent aggressively pursuing the tourist while swinging what appears to be a flagpole. Shouting expletives, the attacker called him a “dirty Zionist” and declared, “You are not welcome here.” The victim said he was soon surrounded by anarchist protesters who knocked him to the ground. “I realised I needed to escape quickly,” he said. “I ran to a nearby restaurant, locked myself in the bathroom, and messaged the person I was renting from, saying I was in danger.”
According to his account, the mob tried to break down the bathroom door, shouting in English: “Bring an axe to break the door.” Around 15 minutes later, the police arrived — but to the victim’s shock, they arrested him rather than the attackers. “I was happy they came to help me, but they searched me, handcuffed me, and arrested me,” he said. He was later released and advised to bring video evidence to the station to file a formal complaint.
He sustained minor injuries from the assault. “They hit me mainly with flags. That’s why I kicked them — to keep my distance. I’ve got some bruises, but I’ve moved on,” he said.
The Israeli tourist urged others to remain cautious: “I would recommend being more alert and not speaking Hebrew. You never know where it might catch up with you.”
The attack is part of a worrying trend in Greece. In April, a far-left Greek terrorist group claimed responsibility for two bombings in central Athens, praising Palestinian “resistance.” In February, two Israelis were stabbed on Ermou Street in the heart of the city; one of the suspects was a Gazan national known to have taken part in pro-Palestinian protests.
In response to rising tensions, Israel’s Foreign Ministry previously warned its citizens to avoid visibly displaying Jewish or Israeli symbols in Greece, especially during periods of heightened unrest. The ministry has also urged travellers to exercise extreme caution near the Israeli embassy in Athens.
Photo credit: Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP via Getty Images.
More News
