Greece Charges Tour Company After It Refused Israeli Citizen Entry
A Greek trekking company refused to accept an Israeli woman on a guided hiking tour of Mount Olympus, citing what it called "ideological reasons related to the atrocities being committed by Israelis in Palestine." The company, Olympus Trek, based in Larissa, told Israeli citizen Naomi Cohen Friedman it had "no available spots for people from Israel" when she inquired about joining one of its tours on the mountain.
Cohen Friedman posted the company's response in an Israeli Facebook group dedicated to travel in Greece, calling Olympus Trek an "antisemitic tourism company." The story was picked up by the Jerusalem Post, which brought it to wider international attention.
"We have no available spots for people from Israel" — Olympus Trek
Greek Health Minister and New Democracy deputy leader Adonis Georgiadis moved quickly after seeing the report. He announced on X that he filed an official complaint against the company and that criminal proceedings have been launched under Greece's anti-racism law.
The CEO of Israeli travel company Greece & Islands, Sivan Zamir, told the Jerusalem Post that Olympus Trek's position does not reflect mainstream Greek attitudes toward Israel. Zamir said that in 20 years of handling Israeli tourism to Greece, she has encountered only two or three such cases.
Georgiadis did not specify which article of the anti-racism law applies, but the law covers discrimination in the provision of services on grounds including national origin. Olympus Trek has not issued a public statement in response to the complaint.
