Crown Iris carrying 1,700 passengers including 400 children rerouted to Cyprus as demonstrations escalate
An Israeli cruise ship carrying approximately 1,700 nationals, including between 300 to 400 children, was forced to divert to Cyprus after pro-Palestinian protesters blocked it from docking at the Greek island of Syros on Tuesday.
The Crown Iris, operated by Israeli shipping company Mano Maritime, was prevented from disembarking at Ermoupoli port after more than 150 demonstrators formed a line along the waterfront, chanting slogans and waving Palestinian flags.
The vessel, which had been scheduled for a six-hour visit, was met with protesters carrying banners reading “Stop the Genocide” and “No a/c in hell” as tensions escalated at the usually peaceful tourist destination.
“Inside the ship, we feel safe, but the children are a little stressed,” one passenger told Israeli broadcaster Kan as the standoff continued for several hours.
The protest was organised by a group called We Stay Active, which stated on social media that “soldiers, settlers, and supporters of the war and the occupation of Palestine are unwanted on their island.”
Initially, Mano Maritime announced there would be a “slight delay” in docking, estimating the demonstration would disperse within half an hour. However, as the protest continued past 3pm, the company made the decision to skip Syros entirely and reroute to the Port of Limassol in Cyprus.
“The ship arrived at Syros, encountered a demonstration by pro-Palestinian supporters, and passengers were stuck on board without permission to disembark,” Mano Maritime confirmed in a statement.
Some Israeli passengers responded to the demonstration by waving Israeli flags and singing patriotic songs from the deck, creating a tense atmosphere at the port.
The Greek coast guard confirmed the ship departed at approximately 3pm on Tuesday, earlier than its original schedule. The decision not to allow passengers to disembark was reportedly made by the Israeli crew rather than Greek authorities, due to safety concerns.
Greece’s Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis strongly condemned the incident, calling it “shameful for Greece” and offering apologies to the affected tourists.
“We owe an apology to those friends of Greece who chose to spend their holidays here and were forcibly denied that right by some,” Georgiadis said. This incident must neither harm our relations with Israel nor the love of Israeli tourists for Greece.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar contacted his Greek counterpart Giorgos Gerapetritis on Tuesday evening, requesting intervention in the situation. The Israeli embassy in Athens also engaged with senior Greek officials throughout the incident.
Following the protest, We Stay Active posted on social media: “We note that there have been numerous complaints from all over Greece about the provocative behaviour of Israeli tourists, who support genocide and who behave as if our places belong to them.
The group added: “We do not want their money! We do not tolerate their presence! Bravo to the residents of Syros!”
A further post after the ship’s departure warned that “residents remain on alert in case it tries to return”, whilst adding that “those who oppose the war, the occupation, and the genocide are welcome.”
Passenger Dror Marshalkowitz told Israel’s Channel 12 that it took law enforcement two hours to arrive at the scene. He said “whoever took the decision” to reroute to Cyprus “apparently did the right thing” given the number of children on board.
During the delay, passengers were instructed by onboard security to remain indoors rather than venture onto the deck. One passenger described seeing approximately 200 protesters waving Palestinian flags at the port entrance.
“It’s the ship’s first stop here and the protesters knew we were coming,” passenger Daniela, 30, from Ra’anana told Ynet. “Yesterday, we docked in Rhodes without issues.”
The Crown Iris had departed from Haifa on Sunday, stopping in Rhodes before attempting to dock at Syros. The same vessel was used last month to transport Israeli nationals to and from Cyprus after Israel closed its airspace during its 12-day conflict with Iran.
The incident represents a significant escalation in anti-Israel sentiment in Greece, which has traditionally enjoyed close ties with Israel. An estimated 621,000 Israelis visited Greece in 2024 alone, making it one of the most popular tourist destinations for Israeli travellers.
Greece and Israel have developed increasingly strong relations over the past 15 years, with cooperation in energy, defence, and tourism sectors. The countries are currently in talks to develop a £1.65 billion ($2.11 billion) anti-aircraft and missile defence system similar to Israel’s Iron Dome.
However, the country has witnessed a rise in antisemitic and anti-Israel incidents since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks that triggered the current conflict in Gaza.
Last July, Greek police arrested seven people accused of planning to attack a synagogue and an Israeli-owned hotel in central Athens. More recently, a new Israeli-owned restaurant in Athens was vandalised in what authorities treated as a likely hate crime.
Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis characterised the Syros incident as “horrific”, stating: “Antisemitism and every form of fascism and racism will not be accepted in Greece.”
“When you target people based on their origin, nationality, or religion, you establish a fear regime,” Marinakis added. “The ship captain’s decision not to allow passenger disembarkation in Syros resulted from this created atmosphere of fear.”
The Israeli National Security Council has since revised its travel advisory for Greece, rating the country’s threat level at two out of four, advising Israelis and Jews to take “increased precautionary measures” when visiting.
Trade between the two countries recorded a 41.3 per cent increase in 2024 compared to 2023, with volume growing from £721 million ($920 million) to £1.02 billion ($1.3 billion).
The protest organisers claimed their demonstration was motivated by solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, stating: “As residents of Syros but more so as human beings, we are taking action that we hope will contribute to stopping this destruction from the genocidal war that is taking place in our neighbourhood.”
Local reports indicated that flyers demanding to “Stop the Genocide” had been scattered along the entire route leading to the dock, whilst videos showed protesters carrying large Palestinian flags as they marched through the port area.
Syros, with a population of approximately 11,000 in its main town of Ermoupoli, is not typically associated with political demonstrations and is known primarily as a peaceful tourist destination in the Cyclades.
The Crown Iris eventually arrived safely at Limassol on Wednesday, where passengers were able to disembark without incident. The ship is part of Israel’s Operation Safe Return mission to repatriate citizens during conflict situations.
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