A heated exchange has erupted between the Mayor of Athens, Haris Doukas, and Israeli Ambassador to Greece, Noam Katz, following the latter’s public accusations regarding alleged antisemitic sentiment and unsafe conditions for Israeli tourists in the Greek capital.
In an interview with Kathimerini, Ambassador Katz criticized Mayor Doukas for “failing to clean up the city” and claimed that “Israeli tourists feel uncomfortable in Athens.” He also suggested that the city has not done enough to curb antisemitic graffiti and activity.
Doukas responded firmly, condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza and asserting Athens’ democratic values. “Athens is the capital of a democratic country that fully respects its visitors and protects the right of free expression of its citizens,” he stated.
“We have actively opposed violence and racism. We do not accept lectures on democracy from those who kill civilians and children in food lines, from those who send dozens of people to death every day in Gaza through bombs, starvation, and thirst,” Doukas added.
Responding directly to Katz’s comments about graffiti, Doukas said, “The ambassador’s focus on graffiti (which is, of course, being removed) seems petty when an unprecedented genocide is unfolding in Gaza.”
He also pointed out a rise in Israeli residency in Greece, noting, “In the past year, the number of Israelis granted a Greek Golden Visa has increased by over 90%,” signaling Greece’s continued openness and hospitality—but not silence in the face of Middle Eastern atrocities.
The opposition party PASOK also issued a statement, urging the Greek government to take a stance against Ambassador Katz’s remarks.
“We call on the Israeli ambassador to focus on the events in Gaza—the systematic ethnic cleansing, the starvation of Palestinians, the abandonment of fellow citizens as hostages, and the many crimes against humanity committed by the Israeli government, which have sparked international outcry and condemnation, even from Israel’s own democratic opposition and academic community,” the statement read.
PASOK concluded by telling Katz to set aside “aesthetic criticisms” of Mayor Doukas and instead address the moral gravity of what is happening in the region.
