‘Afraid to leave the ship’: Huge Palestinian flag greets Israelis in Crete

Israeli cruise passengers said they were afraid to leave their ship Tuesday after pro-Palestinian protesters carrying large flags gathered at the port of Sitia in Crete. Video obtained by ynet shows demonstrators and a large Palestinian flag near the harbor as passengers walked along the pier after arriving aboard a Mano Maritime cruise. Some Israeli passengers who initially disembarked returned to the ship after encountering the protest, according to relatives who remained in contact with them. Carmela, who was visiting the island with her two 14-year-old grandchildren, described the reception as deeply unpleasant. “A very large number of pro-Palestinian protesters with huge flags were waiting for us when we docked in Sitia, Crete,” she told ynet. She said local police had established a buffer between the demonstrators and the Israeli passengers. “I must point out that local police officers are here, maintaining a separation between the angry protesters and the Israeli passengers,” she said. Despite the demonstration, some passengers decided to go ashore and tour the area. “In the end, some of us decided to get off and walk through the local alleys,” Carmela said. “Everyone here is traveling with families and young children, and it is a very unpleasant experience, especially for small children who are frightened by all the commotion.” She described the protest as an attempt to intimidate Israeli tourists but said she ultimately decided to continue with her plans. “I decided to take my grandchildren ashore and tour the area as planned,” she said. “I trust the local police. But anyone traveling in Crete should know that Israelis may also face this kind of deeply unpleasant reception.” Sagi, whose relatives were aboard the ship and remained in continuous contact with him, said many passengers felt threatened. “The Mano Maritime ship arrived in Sitia, Crete, and the Israelis are genuinely afraid to leave the ship,” he told ynet. “Israeli passengers who got off the vessel and encountered this reception are returning to the ship and feel truly threatened,” he said. Sagi added that the ship’s original route had already been changed the previous week because of a pro-Palestinian protest on another island. The incident comes amid a growing number of reports of hostility and antisemitic abuse directed at Israelis abroad. According to the Foreign Ministry figures, 45 cases were reported between July 2025 and July 2026 in which Israelis harmed in antisemitic incidents overseas required assistance from the department responsible for citizens in distress. The reported incidents included assaults, fights, spitting, verbal abuse, threats, denial of service and the removal of Israelis from hotels, cafés and restaurants. The Crete protest also followed an uproar in Italy over an online form circulated through social media and local messaging groups that asked users to report the arrival of Jews and Israelis at hotels and vacation apartments, as well as their presence at businesses. Those behind the initiative said its purpose was to “map Zionist tourism” in Italy. The form was removed following the intervention of Italy’s antisemitism commissioner, Gen. Pasquale Angelosanto. Jewish community leaders warned that the initiative represented a serious escalation. Victor Fadlun, head of Rome’s Jewish community, described it as “a genuine manhunt,” while Noemi Di Segni, president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, warned that it marked “a leap in the level of antisemitism.”