A cruise ship with hundreds of Israelis onboard was forced to reroute to Cyprus after pro-Palestinian protesters rallied at the port of the Greek island of Syros to prevent it from docking.
Passengers onboard the Crown Iris, which is operated by Israeli shipping company Mano Maritime, were set to get off the vessel and explore the island, but were told they couldn’t go ashor amid the demonstrations.
After a considerable length of time stuck at the dock, the ship has now been diverted, making a ten-hour trip to Cyrpus instead.
Before the change was announced, one confused passenger told Israel Hayom: "The crew decided not to let anyone off as a safety measure.”
Another spoke to broadcaster Kan, saying: “We raised Israeli flags and some of us started singing.”
They continued: “Inside the ship, we feel safe, but the children are a little stressed.”
Before making the decision to reroute, Mano Maritime said in a statement: "[We are] in contact with the local authorities and as a result of the protests, there is a slight delay in disembarking passengers.
“The time spent in the port will be extended accordingly and the excursions there will not be affected.
"There are no armed police on the ship, only Israeli security personnel as is customary. The estimate is that the demonstration will disperse within half an hour.
In another comment, the company said: "The ship arrived at Syros, encountered a demonstration by pro-Palestinian supporters, and passengers were stuck on board without permission to disembark.
It has been reported by Israel's Channel 12, that the protests were organised by a group of the island’s residents. Prior to the protests activists posted on social media that they were going to “raise their fists in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza”.
One group wrote: “It is unacceptable that tourists from Israel continue to be welcomed here while the Palestinians are suffering in the Strip."
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar has spoken to his Greek counterpart, Giorgos Gerapetritis, and asked for his intervention to resolve the situation. Israel's embassy in Greece, is also monitoring the incident.
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