Protest Greek island.

[PaxAeterna]

I initially thought that they have been stopped from entering by the Greek authorities but it seems the ship itself made a call to move on. The protest itself was peaceful with no violence reported.

Have mixed thoughts about this one: I don’t really like people protesting at people who ultimately can’t do anything about the situation. On the other hand making life uncomfortable for Israeli tourists inadvertently puts pressure on the Israeli government.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/22/israeli-cruise-rerouted-after-aegean-islanders-protest-gaza-war

Targeting people because of their nationality is not ok though...

I said I was in two minds actually about protests that are at people. It is not a clear target for an effective protest.

But If a cruise ship full of tourists from any of those countries you mentioned arrived to a peaceful protest about something their government is doing. Well I don’t think it is racist actually?

Like if a Chinese cruise ship arrived and people were holding up signs saying Stop the genocide of the Uyghurs. Even though many of the Chinese don’t even know the truth what is happening because of censoring, I don’t see how this would be racist.

With your Russia example, the EU suspended its visa agreement with Russia because of the war.

Targeting people with violence or insults would be wrong.

Targeting Israeli owned tourist companies/tours with peaceful protest is just not on the same level.

Have we seen Chinese tourists targeted? It's all gone quiet over Tibet too, though I hear the dalai lama plans to live till 140 to stop the Chinese government taking over his reincarnation.

As far as I can see, ordinary citizens of Russia and China are not being targeted.

This incident gives me uncomfortable echoes of the Achille Lauro. It's not about peaceful protest, it's about targeting one nationality over every other as if they are uniquely bad.

Again hijacking a ship and holding up protest signs are on completely different levels. One of them is illegal for starters and the other is not.

Peaceful protest is not illegal and should not be restricted. I am only debating the ethics of this. Comparing it to violent, illegal situations where people died will only undermine everything else you say.

Had to google that but yes Chinese tour grips have been met with protest at times. In Taiwan, Hong Kong and Vietnam for starters.

It's not about peaceful protest, it's about targeting one nationality over every other as if they are uniquely bad

Israelis are not uniquely bad. This war has many supporters outside of Israel, that is the main problem for me. A sign holding up Israelis are bad would be wrong. A sigh saying Stop the genocide in Gaza is not wrong because it is talking about the Israeli action in Gaza. I’m sure you can see the difference. Even though you don’t agree with what they say; surely you can see it is different.

I don’t think Israel should be treated in any unique way: it would be my preference that the EU end their current visa agreement with Israel, exactly like they did with Russia. that would be effective action as part of a suite of sanctions that aim to put pressure on the Israeli government to stop killing people.

Well said.

And yet that doesn't get masses of newsprint or whole boards on Mumsnet. I'm sure Google will tell you what happens to anti china protesters in Hong Kong, though not Taiwan (yet) or Vietnam.

So glad you understood my reference, the MO of Palestinian terrorists is often brushed over in the villification of Israel.

Just googled your Russia question and yes a Russian cruise ship was met with quite a nasty protest in Georgia. They hurled eggs at them and told them to go home though. This seemed very focused on Palestine rather than insults and violence. So not quite the same.

This video titled “Israel lost the PR war” is relevant to a lot on this thread.

It begins:

”Israel did not feel it had a choice. We wont be killed online, we will be killed in the real world”

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMex033t-qQ/?igsh=a2tyMWh3ZXl3ZGsz

And yet you had to Google it. There's a lot of other history between Georgia and Russia of course.

What is your point? Surely it is wrong what happens to protesters in Hong Kong. That’s literally why I am defending peaceful protest.
I don’t think that the protesters in Greece should be treated badly and I would hope that you wouldn’t either.

Hong Kong Chinese protesting Chinese rule.
Georgian citizens (ex USSR) protesting Russian invasion of a nation state.

Greeks protesting a specific foreign war, among many other devastating wars in the same region. What makes them focus on Israel and Israelis specifically. @mumandmumber 's Instagram link rings true.

A whole board here called 'conflict in the middle east' that appeared after a genocidal attack on Israel and there's virtual tumbleweed when any other conflict in the middle east is mentioned. Makes me Spidey senses tingle, but as ever on mn you do you and I'll do me.

The trickiest part of propaganda is realising that it never feels like persuasion.
It feels like truth you arrived at yourself.

Not many humans can accept the realisation they they’ve been victims of it.

I apply this to both ‘sides’.

As I have explained many times this is a foreign war but lsrael is an ally and that’s what makes it different. This atrocity committed both by Israel and by the US who has just as much blood on their hands now has been enabled by the EU and the UK’s initial actions and now their inaction.

It should never have got to this. And it really is up to Israel’s allies to do everything to stop it.

That's all well and good, but that still does not not make you a racist in this incidence.
You have decided that your subjective view of " the deserving" is where Good and Bad resides.
However, you are not honest or really invested in goodness to see or imagine all the possible violations perpetrated and ignored by you in order for you to be a hero/ine in your own eyes.

If the stabbed person is dead, is the bullied person next to you on the other side not worth defending? Or would that require too much effort for little clout reward than being known as the person who witnessed the last , dying breath of somebody that you " tried to save" ( whilst the attacker ran off and you didn't get any stabs)?

So by your self imposed moral arbiter, you end up not dealing in either Prevention or Cure?
How does that not make you an amoral person who has enough social know how to recognise that the amoral are not admired for their amorality.

You've " picked a side" without " picking a side" in a convoluted way, but which hides the " don't care" , to many, similarly disposed, but who FEEL that they have to say something to be seen to be good.

It's that " hierarchy" that many " progressives" adhere to as philosophy that engenders and ignores so many violations of many so that those that they have chosen as the perfect victims are the only ones that can be seen by them as victims.

”Some passengers on the vessel reacted by raising Israeli flags and chanting patriotic slogans, eyewitnesses said.”

Hmm… I felt mixed too, but now I think sod the Israeli tourists, whether they are Israeli or not. That’s terrible attitude/behaviour over a genocide!

Sod them for waving their country's flag and chanting patriotic slogans? What's wrong with that?

I think lots of us wouldn't be feeling very patriotic at a time when our governments forced starvation is reaching new heights and skeletal children are front page news across the world. Everyone is different though I suppose.

For many Israelis, patriotism isn’t optional, it’s survival. Surrounded by constant threat, they grow up knowing their country only exists because people are willing to fight for it. It’s not about blind nationalism, it’s about identity, history, and existence.

This 100%

Surely they must feel some degree of guilt or helplessness in the situation? I don’t disagree with what you’re saying but I think it’s extremely poor taste (and wrong, personally speaking) to be waving your flag around at a time the war in Gaza is causing mass starvation, bombing of hospitals and people accessing aid. If the British gov were doing this, I would NOT be waving my flag at protestors!!

Tthe suffering in Gaza is horrific, and no one should ignore it, and absolutely many Israelis and Jews feel shame and at a total loss.
But for many Israelis, waving the flag isn’t about celebrating war. It’s about unity and survival in the face of real, ongoing threats.
They can feel grief and guilt and still hold on to national pride. It’s not about denying what’s happening, it’s about saying, we’re still here, even when it feels like the entire world is against them.

The same way many Palestinians and Gazans waved their flags on 7th October, before retaliations even begun.

i just wouldn’t be waving a flag at this time, simple.

you could say the same for Germany during the world wars?