A shocking incident unfolded on a beach near Athens, Greece, where an Israeli tourist was attacked by a group of Syrian migrants, resulting in part of his ear being bitten off. The victim, Stav Ben Shoshan, was vacationing with his wife when the attack took place, sparking concerns about the rising number of anti-Israel incidents in Greece.
According to reports from Ynet, the violent episode began while Ben Shoshan and his wife were casually chatting in Hebrew with an elderly Israeli couple. A man, later identified as a Syrian migrant, approached them aggressively and began taking photos while shouting phrases like “Free Palestine,” “To hell with Israel,” and “I am Hamas.”
The situation escalated when the man began throwing sand at the group. Security officers at the beach intervened and removed him from the area. However, about an hour later, the same man returned and allegedly tried to assault Ben Shoshan’s wife. When Ben Shoshan stepped in to defend her, the attacker bit his ear, tearing off part of it and leaving him in need of immediate medical care.
Ben Shoshan was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Surprisingly, he was also arrested in his hospital bed, as the Syrian attacker filed a complaint accusing him of making “racist remarks.” Despite this, Greek authorities also detained the attacker as investigations continued.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed the attack and stated they were in touch with both the victim and local officials. “A group of migrants identified the Israelis and harassed them. One of them bit him, causing a serious ear injury. The attacker is under arrest,” said a ministry source quoted by Ynet.
This incident is the latest in a growing number of attacks against Israeli tourists in Greece. Just days earlier, a group of Israeli teenagers was assaulted by dozens of pro-Palestinian activists on the island of Rhodes, with some attackers allegedly armed with knives.
On Syros Island, tensions escalated when Israeli cruise ship passengers were prevented from disembarking due to pro-Palestinian protests at the port. Demonstrators accused Israel of committing genocide in the war with Hamas in Gaza.
Experts say these events are not isolated. In a statement to JNS, Neil Bar, a researcher on radical ideologies from the University of Haifa and the University of California, Berkeley, warned that these are part of a larger, organized pattern of anti-Israel activity.
“These aren’t isolated events,” Bar said. “Since October 7, we’ve seen a steady rise in targeted attacks—not just against Israeli tourists, but against Jews more broadly.” He also pointed to other alarming incidents in recent months, including the defacement of a Holocaust memorial in Larissa, vandalism of Jewish cemeteries in Volos and Thessaloniki, and men wearing Palestinian flags seen patrolling tourist zones in Athens.
The attack on Ben Shoshan is now under full investigation. Meanwhile, Israeli tourists and Jewish visitors in Greece are being urged to remain alert, as tensions continue to grow across parts of Europe.