Greece on alert as Israeli cruise ship approaches

Greece has increased its state of readiness as the Israeli passenger vessel approaches its shores. The Crown Iris, carrying Israeli tourists on an 11-day Mediterranean cruise, is scheduled to dock at several Greek ports in the coming days.

The alert level was raised after incidents in July and August, when demonstrators gathered at Greek ports to block Israeli passengers from disembarking. In some cases, the protests turned violent. Earlier this week, the MS Crown Iris docked at the port of Kalamata, while in July it was forced to divert its route to Cyprus due to large anti-Israel protests in Greece.

Some protest organizers have already announced plans to confront the ship again when it arrives in Patras and Katakolo.

“We cannot remain silent in light of Israel’s actions in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect on October 10,” said Christina Lada, a teacher who participated in the Kalamata protest, speaking to The Guardian.

“Despite the ceasefire, Israel continues its attacks on Gaza. Innocent and unarmed civilians are being killed.”

Yannis Sipankis, a prominent activist who organized several anti-Israel demonstrations in Greece in recent months, told The Guardian he also plans to travel to the two ports to prevent Israeli tourists from disembarking.

“Those Israelis who support their government’s actions are not welcome here,” Sipankis said.