Political storm in Greece; Tensions escalate between Athens mayor and Israeli ambassador

The dispute began when Noam Katz, Israel’s ambassador, accused Athens officials of failing to remove “anti-Semitic” murals. In an interview, he claimed Israeli tourists felt “uncomfortable” in the Greek capital due to what he described as “inaction against organized minorities responsible for offensive messages.”

Haris Doukas, the mayor of Athens and a member of the center-left PASOK party, swiftly responded via social media. He stated that Athens has always stood against violence and racism, declaring that the city does not need “democracy lessons from those who kill civilians.” He stressed that Athens remains a democratic city that respects visitors and upholds freedom of expression. “As mayor of Athens, we have strongly opposed violence and discrimination, and we do not accept democracy lessons from those who kill civilians,” he wrote.

Doukas, from the opposition PASOK party, reaffirmed that “Athens, the capital of a democratic country, fully respects its tourists and supports the right to free expression for its citizens.”

In another post, Doukas criticized the ambassador for focusing on murals — which he said had already been removed — while genocide was taking place in Gaza. His remarks reflect a broader frustration within Greek political circles over Israel’s ongoing military actions in the region.

In the latest developments, opposition parties have come out strongly in support of the mayor.

PASOK’s central office issued an official statement urging the Israeli ambassador to address the killing of children and the wider violence in Gaza instead. The SYRIZA party expressed its full backing for Doukas, while the Communist Party of Greece declared that the Greek people firmly support the Palestinian cause and are committed to continuing public demonstrations against Israel’s military operations.

Several members of the Greek parliament joined the criticism, accusing Ambassador Katz of overstepping diplomatic boundaries. The opposition has called on the Greek government to respond firmly to what it describes as provocation by the Israeli diplomatic mission