Hours later at the OPAP Arena, anti-Israel soccer fans throughout the stadium loudly chanted “F–k you, Israel.”By Jewish Breaking NewsIsrael’s national soccer coach was attacked during preparations for a UEFA match in Athens last week.Ran Ben Shimon and assistant coach Gal Cohen were walking through the Greek capital on July 24, speaking in Hebrew, when a young man approached them shouting “Free Palestine.”When both coaches ignored the pedestrian, he ran toward them and pushed Ben Shimon before bystanders intervened and removed the assailant.“The ugly incident in Athens was handled quickly and efficiently, and I can only regret the ignorance and impudence of that person,” Ben Shimon told Channel 12.“I doubt if he recognized us as the national team’s coaches at all, and in my opinion, the reason for this is that we are Israelis who spoke Hebrew. I am proud to represent my country everywhere; this certainly will not deter us in the future.”“We found ourselves in an unpleasant and dangerous situation because we realized that this young man was not alone and any reaction we had could escalate,” he explained. “We got into a taxi and continued to the field.”Hours later at the OPAP Arena, anti-Israel soccer fans throughout the stadium loudly chanted “F–k you, Israel.Viva Palestine” during the UEFA Conference League qualifier between Hapoel Be’er Sheva and AEK Athens.Videos shared on social media showed AEK Athens fans raising numerous Palestinian flags throughout the match, which the Greek team won 1-0.https://worldisraelnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/x-downloader.com_xzIj2X.mp4Ben Shimon’s assault came amid an escalating wave of antisemitic incidents across Greece targeting Israeli tourists and citizens.Last week, protesters successfully blocked an Israeli cruise ship from docking at the Greek island of Syros, forcing the Crown Iris and its 1,600 passengers to reroute to Cyprus.Around 300 demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and displayed banners reading “Stop the Genocide” at Ermoupoli port, according to local reports.When the same cruise ship later attempted to dock at Rhodes on Monday, riot police clashed with demonstrators who again tried to prevent Israeli passengers from disembarking.Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar called on Greek authorities Tuesday to address the mounting attacks.“It’s worrying to see the anti-Israel escalation in Greece, even though relations between Israel and Greece were and will continue to be among the best and closest among the countries of Europe,” Zohar posted on X.“I expect the authorities to act against these expressions of antisemitism, which are worthy of all condemnation and enforcement.”Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis also condemned the attacks in an interview with Parapolitika Radio 90.1.“The incident in Piraeus is horrific; antisemitism and every form of fascism and racism will not be accepted in Greece,” Marinakis said, calling the events “outrageous” and “isolated.”Greece remains a popular destination for Israeli tourists, with an estimated 621,000 visiting in 2024 alone.Earlier this month, vandals also targeted an Israeli-owned kosher restaurant in Athens, spray-painting anti-Israel slogans including “No Zionist is safe here” and “Smash Zionism, fascism, colonialism” on walls and counters.The post Israel’s national soccer coach assaulted before Athens match appeared first on World Israel News.