By Benjamin Albalas
In recent weeks, I have watched with deep concern as antisemitism rises again in my country. Israeli tourists have been threatened and even physically attacked simply for speaking Hebrew. Protesters have blocked cruise ships, and radical voices are dominating the discourse, both in the media and on social platforms, writes Benjamin Albalas, Holocaust survivor, chairman of the European March of the Living.
Let me be clear: this rise in antisemitism is not only about the war in Gaza. What we are witnessing is the exploitation of a tragic conflict by extremist groups within Greece, particularly from the progressive left and the Communist party, who are using the situation as an excuse to attack Israel and, by extension, the Jewish people.
Despite this difficult moment, I still believe Greece is a safe country for Jews. My family and I live openly as Jews. We are not afraid. But I would like to see the Greek authorities enforce the anti-racism laws already in place. This is not the time for silence or neutrality. When incitement is allowed to grow unchecked, it endangers not only Jews but the very foundation of our democracy.
As a Holocaust survivor, I know where hatred can lead. When I saw the images of Israeli hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavsky—starved, humiliated, broken—I returned to the frightened boy I was 80 years ago. I remembered the survivors of Auschwitz and my own experience as a hidden child during the Nazi occupation of Athens. The trauma is not history; it lives within us.
As Chair of the European March of the Living, I deeply believe in the power of education to fight hate. Every year, thousands of young people, Jews and non-Jews alike, walk from Auschwitz to Birkenau on Holocaust Remembrance Day. They walk not only to remember the past, but to understand where unchecked hatred can lead. They return home committed to promoting tolerance and human rights and to standing against all forms of hate for the sake of humanity.
Here in Greece, we march each year on March 16 in Thessaloniki, commemorating the day the city’s Jews were first deported to Auschwitz. The march, attended by Jews and non-Jews, government officials, community and faith leaders, and students, is a reminder that memory must not be passive. It must move us to act.
To confront the rise in antisemitism, we must promote tolerance, dialogue, and historical truth. Extremists must not be allowed to dominate public discourse or intimidate those who believe in democracy and Western values. Now more than ever, we need moral courage from leaders, educators, and citizens alike to stand up for justice, coexistence, and peace. The future of our society depends on it, and we must act clearly, firmly, and without fear.
Benjamin Albalas was born in Athens in 1937. As a young child during the Holocaust, his family survived thanks to the bravery of Dr. Panos Macheras, a Greek physician who warned them of Nazi plans in 1943, shortly after the deportations began in Thessaloniki. The family adopted Christian identities and went into hiding. “We took every precaution,” Albalas recalls. “We stayed hidden until the end of 1944, when Greece was liberated.” On March 24th, 1944, while the family was in hiding, hundreds of Jews were rounded up at the Athens synagogue, where Albalas had lived as a baby, and deported to Auschwitz. Few survived. Dr. Macheras was later recognized as Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem for his courageous actions.
This column was originally published by EU Reporter.