Key facts
- Israel warned its citizens in Greece to avoid advertising their nationality publicly.
- Greeks are increasingly angered by rising rents, which they attribute to Israeli property buyers.
- Public opinion in Greece shows significant opposition to the alliance with Israel.
- Concerns are mounting over Greece's purchase of Israeli arms and surveillance technology.
- A substantial number of Israelis have emigrated from their country, citing security and cost of living issues.
Israel's relationship with Greece, once considered a close alliance, is becoming increasingly strained due to growing public opposition within Greece. Concerns over the ongoing war in Gaza, coupled with significant arms sales and rising rental costs attributed to Israeli property buyers, are turning the partnership into a domestic liability for the Greek government.
Israel issued a rare warning to its citizens in Greece, advising them to avoid advertising their nationality in public, reflecting the heightened tensions. Many Greeks blame Israeli property purchases for escalating rents, and anger is also directed at Israelis reportedly jeering at pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' close friendship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also become a point of contention.
Konstantinos Isychos, a former deputy defence minister, described the relationship as "asymmetrical" and a "double suicide." Public opinion polls indicate a significant shift, with a 2026 Pew Research poll showing 65 percent of Greeks opposing the partnership. Pro-Palestinian protests in Greece are reportedly much larger than pro-Israeli ones.
For some Greeks, opposition is linked to the government's expenditure on Israeli weapons and surveillance technology, such as the Predator system, while funds are perceived as lacking for essential services like hospitals and firefighting. This sentiment highlights a frustration with national priorities.
The growing backlash is also affecting Israelis who have viewed Greece as a potential relocation destination. In 2025, nearly 100,000 Israelis left their country for over three months, citing the constant threat of missile attacks and a high cost of living. Ehud Eiran, an associate professor of political science, noted that buying property in Greece and Cyprus has become a "secular response to the settler project."