In pro-Palestine hub of Athens, Israeli buyers increase local resentment

In Exarchia, an Athens neighbourhood known for radical left-wing politics and solidarity with Palestinians, homes are being bought up and converted into short-term rentals, displacing residents. Tonia Katerini, a 69-year-old architect, and her neighbours are mapping foreign purchases from public records; they estimate Israeli money is behind more than half of the neighbourhood’s new company-run hotels and rentals. Buildings carry slogans opposing Airbnb and declaring Zionists unwelcome, while residents describe being disturbed by tourist noise and facing growing pressure on local housing.