Greece's Foreign Ministry has formally protested to Israeli authorities after a delegation of Greek trade unionists was denied entry and swiftly deported while attempting to travel to the West Bank, in an incident that has triggered sharp political backlash across the opposition.
The ministry said the six-member delegation had completed all required travel documentation and clearly declared the purpose of their trip to border personnel.
The group had been invited to Ramallah by Palestinian labor unions to hold solidarity meetings with local workers and organizations.
Among those detained and expelled was Panagiota Lazaropoulou, a union president and member of the New Left party.
Several political parties, including ELAS, Syriza and New Left, issued swift public condemnations of Israel's decision, framing the border denial as a violation of international labor solidarity.
Opposition lawmakers and labor leaders called on the government to demand a full diplomatic explanation from Israeli authorities.
The Foreign Ministry, in registering its discontent, stressed that the detained citizens had fully complied with standard declaration procedures before reaching the checkpoint.
The episode adds friction to a relationship that has otherwise remained close in recent years, with Greece and Israel deepening defense, energy and diplomatic ties through frameworks such as the Greece-Cyprus-Israel-U.S. trilateral cooperation.
The incident is likely to be raised in future bilateral contacts as Athens seeks clarity on the criteria Israeli border authorities applied in denying entry to a delegation traveling for declared trade union purposes.