Israelis in Greece warned to lie low ahead of pro-Palestinian ‘day of rage’ protests

Foreign Ministry tells visitors to avoid displaying Jewish or Israeli symbols ahead of Sunday’s nationwide rallies; same event came and went without incident last year, after similar alert

By Lazar Berman

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9 August 2026, 12:00 pm

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Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter

A protester holds a flare as others chant pro-Palestinian slogans outside Greece’s Foreign Ministry after Israel’s navy intercepted an activists flotilla in waters off of Cyprus, in Athens on May 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

The Foreign Ministry on Sunday warned Israelis in Greece to lie low and avoid displays that give away their identity, with dozens of anti-Israel protests set to take place across the country.

A group of pro-Palestinian organizations were planning a “day of rage” over the Gaza war in dozens of locations across Greece, focusing on sites that Israeli tourists regularly visit.

“Given the expected scale of the protests and the possibility of large gatherings and disturbances, the Foreign Ministry recommends that Israeli citizens in Greece exercise increased vigilance, stay away from protest sites and large gatherings, and avoid any friction or confrontation with demonstrators,” the ministry stated in a special travel warning.

“It is recommended to keep Israeli and Jewish identifying symbols discreet and to avoid posting your location in real time on social media,” it continued.

The warning came with masses of Israeli vacationers in the country, a top tourist destination, for peak travel season. Nearly 50 flights were set to leave from Ben-Gurion Airport to Greece on Sunday alone, according to data from the Israel Airports Authority.

In its announcement of the planned protests, BDS Greece – a group advocating a boycott of, divestment from, and sanctions against Israel – wrote on Facebook that it would “fill the entire country with Palestinian flags, keffiyehs, and slogans.”

Protesters chant pro-Palestinian slogans outside Greece’s Foreign Ministry after Israel’s navy intercepted an activist flotilla in waters off of Cyprus, in Athens, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

“It’s been more than 1,000 days of genocide in Gaza, while in the West Bank, occupation, attacks, and the seizure of Palestinian land continue,” the group wrote.

Israel strongly rejects accusations of genocide in its war against the Hamas terror group, which began when Hamas invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Most fighting in the Strip ended with an October 2025 ceasefire.

In its post, BDS Greece called on Greece to impose an arms embargo and sanctions on Israel, and end all military cooperation between the two countries, among other demands.

The Foreign Ministry also warned Israelis in Greece about the same day of action last year, which came and went without a major incident.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.