Greece: Arson Attack on Art Gallery Against Genocide
Athens, Greece — A small art gallery in one of the most touristic spots in Athens suffered an arson attack before dawn on April 12, 2026. The owner claims it was because of her stance against the genocide in Gaza. No arrests have been made in the attack.
A few days after the attack, on April 18, an anti-Zionist gathering took place at the central square of Monastiraki Square in solidarity with the gallery owner, against the Israeli capital advancing in the area and against the genocide in Palestine.
Before the sun rose on Greece’s Easter Sunday in the neighborhood of Psyrri, unknown individuals tossed flammable objects into the Eclectica Gallery through a skylight in the rear part of the gallery. The fire was immediately noticed by passersby, who alerted the Hellenic Fire Service, resulting in the fire brigade intervening immediately and preventing the spread of the fire and greater damage.
Angeliki, the owner of the gallery which sells antiques, artifacts, ceramics, and statues, said on social media that she felt the attack was because she had a message on her gallery window reading “This Gallery is not genocide friendly.”
She posted that she had been constantly threatened and “harassed verbally and digitally” by Israeli tourists and abusive internet reviews over the message.
“They set fire to my shop,” she posted April 14, “because they were bothered by the message on my door, in Psyrri, in what has now become their own estate.”
The arson incident is not isolated but is part of a broader framework of intimidation and attempts to silence those who express opposition to the military operations in Palestine in Greece, both by the Greek police authorities during mobilizations and by Israeli tourists.
Israeli investments in real estate, hotels and food businesses in the historic neighborhood of Psyrri are at an all-time high. A broader tourist center, Psyrri has recently been dubbed “Little Tel Aviv.”
Investors from Israel take advantage of the Greek Golden Visa Program, which allows non-citizens to obtain a residence permit in Greece through the purchase of property worth €800,000 and starting at €250,000.
Recently, an advertisement in Hebrew at Athens International Airport caused controversy. The ad called on Israeli tourists not to leave without buying a house in Greece, advertising the low property prices of the Greek market.
At the same time, the Greek state is deepening its military and economic cooperation on multiple levels with the State of Israel.
As Angeliki underlines, “Those of us who are in the struggle for the liberation of Palestine and of all those fighting against this fascist state shout that Zionism is here, next to us, lurking in every act of freedom and justice.”
Immediately after the attack, a large number of people in solidarity expressed their support for the gallery owner. However, she did not receive the same support from neighboring shop owners, who she said tried to discourage her from continuing her struggle, advising her to keep her views to herself and not turn against the strong Israeli capital in the area.
For more media from Greece, see our Greece archive page.
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