The mayor of Athens Harris Docas denounced the statements of the Israeli Ambassador in Greece, the type of Katz, after accusing him of “not cleaning” the Greek capital from the “anti -Semitic” graffiti fees that offend the feelings of Israeli tourists in the country.
“As a municipal authority in the city, we have proven our strong opposition to violence and discrimination, and we do not accept lessons in democracy from those who kill civilians,” Harris Docas wrote in a post on X.
“Athens, the capital of a democratic country, whose visitors are fully respected and supported the right to free expression of its citizens.”.
His response came after Kind Kats said in statements to the newspaper “Kathimirini” on Sunday that the mayor of Athens “is not making sufficient efforts to protect his city from organized minorities” responsible in his view of the anti -graphic fees “anti -Semitic”.
The newspaper, known for its right -wing line, quoted the Israeli ambassador as saying that Harris Ducas “does not clean the city, which makes the Israeli tourists uncomfortable.”
The mayor of Athens replied to him by saying, “It is indignant to see that the ambassador focuses on the graffiti (which is of course wiped), while an extermination is taking place in Gaza.”
Asina, like other European capitals, has witnessed demonstrations in support of the Palestinians on the initiative of the left, especially since the war in Gaza erupted.
In some Greek islands, the arrival of the tourist ship “Crown Aires”, with tourists, most of them Israelis, have caused major protests in recent days.
While about 15 Western countries expressed their intention to recognize the State of Palestine, and other countries called for the example, Greece faces a dilemma in this regard in light of its historical friendly relations with the Arab countries and its modern cooperation with Israel in the fields of defense, security and energy.
The Kiriacos Mitsotakis (right) government, which has been in power since 2019, has enhanced its cooperation with the Hebrew state, and has repeatedly denounced “terrorist acts Hamas and other radical groups” in Gaza, but with the emphasis on the need to deliver aid to the sector that suffers from a “humanitarian crisis”.
Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, the number of Israeli tourists visiting Greece has increased, the average country near Israel, or who invest in real estate, according to experts.
The mayor of Athens stated that “the number of Israelis who obtained a Greek golden visa increased more than 90% during the past year.”
