Karantinis on the flight of Greek artists from Israel: “We watched the missiles from the plane, as if it were a movie”

What started as a planned artistic collaboration quickly transformed into a geopolitical thriller. A group of Greek musicians visiting Israel for a cultural exchange found themselves entangled in a spiraling conflict, turning their return journey through the war-torn Middle East into a dramatic escape.

Celebrated bouzouki virtuoso Manolis Karantinis shares with protothema.gr how their music tour, organized with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra by artistic manager Braha Cohen, devolved into a tense and uncertain exodus. Alongside singer Kostas Karafotis and folk artist Areti Ketime, the musicians arrived in Israel on June 8 for a series of performances.

“The atmosphere was tense upon our arrival,” Karantinis recalls, “but no one anticipated the situation would escalate so quickly.”

Despite the growing unrest, the concerts proceeded, and the audience in Israel responded with deep emotion.

“The people were incredibly welcoming,” he notes. “They cherish Greek music as a source of comfort. Some had lost loved ones in the conflict or had family members taken hostage, yet they wept during the zeibekiko.”

However, the situation deteriorated further. On June 13, their scheduled departure day, Tel Aviv’s airport suddenly closed down. Flights were halted, and communication with authorities became nearly impossible.

“We found ourselves sitting on the pavement with our suitcases,” Karantinis describes. “Then Braha said, ‘You must leave immediately. Bombing is imminent.’”

With limited choices, Karafotis suggested an urgent land escape to Jordan. The group quickly arranged for a taxi and embarked on a two-hour journey to the Israeli-Jordanian border. With assistance from the Greek embassy in Amman, they navigated through visa procedures, checkpoints, and uncertainty.

“We had no idea if they would let us through, if we’d make it in time for a flight, or if the border would remain open.”

Ultimately, they crossed into Jordan and reached Amman. That night, as they boarded a Royal Jordanian flight to Larnaca, danger was still looming.

“When we took off at around 10:45 p.m., we looked out the window to see Iranian missiles in the sky,” Karantinis recalls. “The Iron Dome was intercepting them. It felt like a scene from a war movie. I’ll never forget it.”

The group returned safely to Athens via Aegean Airlines. Although still shaken by the ordeal, Karantinis remains dedicated to maintaining a cultural presence in Israel.

“Music has no borders,” he asserts. “What we provided was more than entertainment—it was emotional support. That’s the power of Greek music.”

A Second Group Faces a Similar Ordeal

Meanwhile, a second delegation of Greek performers, including Glykeria, Alekos Zazopoulos, Eleni Siddanta, Stelios Fotiadis, Giorgos Rolas, and once again Areti Ketime, managed to escape via Egypt.

They are currently under the protection of Greek diplomatic services, with repatriation efforts reportedly being coordinated via military aircraft as part of a special evacuation mission from Cairo.