A disturbing incident occurred last weekend in Cyprus when an IDF reservist who completed his reserve duty was targeted by a Cypriot anti-Israel organization after he shared his arrival on the island on social media.

The organization called for his arrest, claiming “war crimes,” Yisrael Hayom reported on Monday.

Israeli security officials identified the threat and warned the soldier. He was quickly returned to Israel to thwart his arrest.

On Sunday, Israel’s Foreign Ministry issued a warning to Israelis in Greece to avoid certain areas, including the area of the Israeli embassy in Athens, as well as Aristotle University in Thessaloniki and the US consulate in the city. The warning added that Israelis should “conceal Israel and Jewish symbols.”

The reason for the warning is that Sunday was November 17, which is marked in Greece each year as the commemoration of the Athens Polytechnic uprising, a massive student demonstration against the Greek military junta in 1973 that ended in bloodshed on November 17. The military junta ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974.

Thousands of Greek students in Athens and Thessaloniki participated in the protests, with some waving Palestinian flags and screaming about “genocide.” In Athens, the students marched to the US Embassy and then continued to the Israeli embassy.

The U.S. Embassy also issued a warning to US citizens in Greece, saying that “some past demonstrations have turned violent and have involved destruction of property.”

Israel’s warning to Israelis in Greece was lifted after Sunday’s protests were over. However, it should be noted that Israel’s National Security had previously designated Greece as a Level 2 threat, which means there are concerns about occasional or random threats against Israelis and Jews. This warning is still in effect.

Israeli media outlets spoke to Israelis living in Greece who said that they have no issues with local Greeks and generally feel safe but are cautious in areas where Muslim immigrants frequent.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)