An Israeli tourist was assaulted Monday in central Athens by a group of pro-Palestinian activists after they heard him speaking Hebrew, according to the victim and local media reports.
Meidad Hozeh, 35, said he was attacked while walking to a gym in the Greek capital. He told Ynetnews that the group began shouting anti-Israel slurs at him before chasing and physically assaulting him.
“One of them asked if I was from Israel. I said yes and kept walking, but he started yelling, ‘F*** Israel, f*** Zionists,’” Hozeh said. “I responded, ‘F*** you, f*** Palestine,’ and tried to walk away. Then they started chasing me.”
Hozeh recorded part of the attack on his phone as he attempted to flee. The video, which he later presented to police, reportedly shows multiple individuals surrounding and striking him while trying to take his phone.
He said he was eventually tripped and knocked to the ground, where the group began to surround him. “There was a moment I thought if I didn’t get up, this will not end well,” he said. “It was a feeling of helplessness.”
Hozeh escaped by fighting off his attackers and running into a nearby café, where he locked himself in a restroom and contacted the person renting him an apartment. That individual called the police and helped interpret when officers arrived.
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According to Hozeh, police initially handcuffed him after a woman from the group claimed he had assaulted her during the incident. He was taken to a local station, where the woman also appeared. After viewing the footage Hozeh had recorded, officers released him and reportedly apologized.
“The police told her she could either apologize or face charges, so she apologized,” Hozeh said. “After that, they were very kind. One of them said, ‘You’re welcome here. We don’t want them, we don’t like them.’”
Despite the incident, Hozeh said he intends to continue traveling but will avoid disclosing his Israeli identity.
“This could happen anywhere,” he said. “It’s sad, but I shouldn’t have said I was from Israel. I spoke Hebrew freely. Now I’ll hide my identity. It’s a shame Athens has become so dangerous for Israelis. I love this city, and I love the Greek people. I’m not going to let this stop my trip.”