Athens Holds Demo against “Israeli” PM

Hundreds of people have taken to the streets in the Greek capital to protest against "Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit.

Protesters held two separate rallies in central Athens to protest "Israel's" attack on the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla as well as "Israeli" policies in the Middle East.

Protesters held up banners reading "Freedom to Palestine" and "neither earth nor water to the murderers of nations."

The "Israeli" military attacked the Freedom Flotilla in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea on May 31, killing nine Turkish citizens on board the Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara and injuring about 50 other people who were part of the team on the six-ship convoy.

"Israel" also arrested and later released nearly 700 activists from 42 countries who were on board the ships of the flotilla, which was attempting to break the siege of Gaza in order to deliver 10,000 tons of humanitarian assistance to the long-suffering people of the territory.

Dozens of riot police surrounded the "Israeli" Embassy as protesters marched past the area.

Netanyahu is the first "Israeli" premier to visit Greece. His visit comes a month after Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou visited "Israel".

The two leaders discussed the Middle East conflict as well as bilateral cooperation.

Greece has sought to play an active role in Middle East negotiations and Papandreou pledged that Greece would help to restart the stalled Middle East peace talks.

But the Palestinian Authority (PA) has repeatedly said it would only join talks of any kind after Tel Aviv ends its expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank and agrees to a full withdrawal to the borders of 1967.

However, Netanyahu has rejected any preconditions and asked acting PA chief Mahmoud Abbas to come to the negotiating table "right now."