‘Afraid to leave the ship’: Huge Palestinian flag greets Israelis in Crete

Israeli cruise passengers said they were afraid to leave their ship Tuesday after pro-Palestinian protesters carrying large flags gathered at the port of Sitia in Crete. Video obtained by ynet shows demonstrators and a large Palestinian flag near the harbor as passengers walked along the pier after arriving aboard a Mano Maritime cruise. Some Israeli passengers who initially disembarked returned to the ship after encountering the protest, according to relatives who remained in contact with them. Carmela, who was visiting the island with her two 14-year-old grandchildren, described the reception as deeply unpleasant. “A very large number of pro-Palestinian protesters with huge flags were waiting for us when we docked in Sitia, Crete,” she told ynet. She said local police had established a buffer between the demonstrators and the Israeli passengers.