Greece: Israeli couple attacked at pro-Palestinian demonstration in Athens

A man and a woman identified as an Israeli couple at a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Athens were attacked by several protesters and were rescued from the scene by local residents. The incident occurred during the "day of rage" that took place in Greece last Sunday. In footage circulated over the last day on social media, a protester is seen pushing the man and then kicking him.

Simultaneously with the violence directed at the two, the crowd chanted: "Free Palestine" and "Zionist murderers." The couple did not respond with violence, and it appears in the videos that they were anxiously looking for a way out. A man present at the scene intervened and was seen trying to distance the protesters from the two and extract them while shielding them with his body.

Following the day of protests, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a heightened caution advisory for Israelis staying in the country. Israelis were advised to conceal identifying symbols and stay away from protest hubs that took place, among other places, in Athens, Thessaloniki, and the islands. The "day of rage" was announced last month by pro-Palestinian organizations and activist networks across Greece, calling for demonstrations in major cities, towns, and popular tourist destinations.

The initiative, organized jointly by the "March to Gaza" organization, the BDS Greece movement, the Palestinian community in Greece, and the "Stop the War" coalition, aims to protest against Israel's military actions in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian Authority, while pointing an accusing finger at the government in Athens and the close diplomatic, military, and economic relations between Greece and Israel.