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Amid the political turmoil that Greece has been struggling with for the past few weeks, the visit of Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias went almost unnoticed, although its significance was and remains very significant. The three-day visit of the Greek Foreign Minister to Israel, on July 5, the day of
referendum, his meeting and acquaintance with all the political and state leadership of the friendly country, as well as his visit to Ramallah and his meeting with the Palestinian leadership, demonstrate the importance that these two friendly nations have for Greece.
The Greek Foreign Minister met with the President of the Republic Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, Interior Minister Silvan Shalom, Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely and the leader of the opposition, Isaac Herzog.
In Ramallah, he met with his counterpart Maliki and the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas.
Everyone spoke highly of Greece and the special importance of our friendly and strategic relations, while noting that in the midst of the economic crisis plaguing Greece, Greece does not forget its friends and allies, and everyone wished that we would overcome the crisis and stand in solidarity.
The President of Israel, Mr. Rivlin, stated that:
"The Israeli people saw what happened in Greece and we sympathize with your pain. Greece is the birthplace of democracy and we have seen in recent days the power of the democratic voice. The true sovereign of every country is the people and your people made their voice heard. We know that with God's help a solution will be found that will be acceptable to all sides. We remember very well, all the Israeli people, the help you offered us during the devastating Mount Carmel fire.
What happens in our region affects people all over the world, especially when countries are neighbors. This is true when we talk about the economy, the environment and threats from fundamentalism. All of humanity shares a common future and we should work together to try to shape it together. This is our duty and our responsibility to our children and grandchildren.”
Netanyahu referred to the special relations between Greece and Israel, which he himself has cultivated over the last 5 years, and revealed the dangers of Islamic terrorism that concerns us all, saying characteristically:
"You come here at a critical time for Greece and I appreciate the fact that you have come, despite the dramatic events taking place in your country. This friendship has undergone a huge change, it has deep roots, as Athens and Jerusalem have offered the world the foundations of Western civilization. The ideas of freedom of the modern world were born in these cities.
We also have an alliance against armed Islamic terrorism, which endangers not only the Middle East, but the entire world.
An Iranian-Hezbollah terrorist cell was recently discovered in Cyprus, reportedly containing five tons of ammonium nitrate in a single apartment, an amount equivalent to that dropped on the Oklahoma federal building. This terrorist network spreads to more than 30 countries, on many continents, and we have just received information that another terrorist cell of extremist Shiites has been discovered, which is active in Jordan. Another terrorist cell is the extremist Sunnis, led by ISIS. We are fighting a common struggle with the moderate Arab countries and many others, who wish to eliminate this scourge.”
He then referred to the possibility of signing an agreement with Iran, where Israel is opposed to this development, as it considers Iran “the country that leads the world in providing assistance to terrorism!!”. Specifically, he referred to the 5+1 talks to reach an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program, saying: “This period is full of challenges because we are faced with the possibility of signing an agreement with Iran, the country that leads the world in providing assistance to terrorism.
Every day more and more concessions are made to Iran, and every day the deal gets worse.
What we are seeing in Vienna is not a significant development, but rather a collapse of the principles the P5+1 group committed to in the Lausanne talks.
This agreement will pave the way for Iran to acquire a nuclear arsenal, it will be a jackpot for them of hundreds of billions of dollars with which they will continue to finance their aggression and terrorism. Aggression in the region, and terrorism throughout the world.
This is something we need to work together against because when there is such a bad deal, similar to the deal reached with North Korea, the conclusion is clear. – It is better not to reach a deal at all, than to sign this very bad deal. We should work together to achieve stability, security, peace and prosperity. These are the issues I wish to discuss with you, as well as other issues.” He concluded, addressing the Greek Foreign Minister Mr. Kotzias.
Mr. Kotzias responded, "Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for the welcome. I am very happy to be here in Israel, a country with which we maintain ties of thousands of years, through shared values ​​and visions, but also through our common historical path, which will lead us, I hope, to even closer ties in the future.
I am here, Mr. Prime Minister, for a constructive discussion with you, as a good friend of Israel. You know that we consider Israel a good and important friend of Greece. ……
There is currently an in-depth bilateral political dialogue on all bilateral issues related to security in the region. And I always say that we live within a triangle of destabilization, at the top of which is Ukraine, on the left is Libya, and on the right is the Middle East: Iraq and Syria. And we need to create within this triangle a framework of stability and security.
The relations between Israel, Cyprus and Greece are very important and constitute a line of stability in this region. Stability and security are our common interest….
We believe that there is a mutual decision for a dynamic development of strategic cooperation between our peoples, who are connected by bonds of friendship. And always, when I see people from Israel, I think that these people, this people love Greece so much, that we should learn to love Israel equally.”
This is what the Israeli Prime Minister stated a week ago in Jerusalem, and today, 14-7-15, the long-awaited agreement for many on Iran's nuclear program was reached, which was welcomed by almost all states, even Russia, except of course Israel and Bibi Netanyahu, who publicly expressed his complete disappointment.
During his visit to Ramallah, the Greek Foreign Minister confirmed Greece's friendship and support for the Palestinian struggle. "We are old friends and there has always been mutual solidarity between us," said Mr. Kotzias after the meeting with his Palestinian counterpart, Riyad Al-Maliki, noting that "Greece has always supported the Palestinian struggle and the just demand of the Palestinian people for a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine. Our support continues today."
The visit of the Greek Foreign Minister to Israel and Palestine, in addition to confirming Greece's friendship and love for the two peoples of the Middle East, and mutual support, also highlights its mediating role. It is now considered a given and certain that sooner or later Israelis and Palestinians will sit down at the negotiating table to discuss the achievement (finally) of a viable and just agreement and solution to the world's longest-standing problem, the Palestinian one. And Greece will be able to claim the role of an honest intermediary, a sincere friend of the two peoples and contribute to the achievement of the agreement. The world is changing and the ideologies, the enmities and all kinds of confrontations and prejudices are receding and disappearing. The USA, after decades of hostility and cold war, finds itself with Cuba and Iran, and will not find itself with Israelis and Palestinians, peoples who are racially related, who have lived together in the same region for tens and hundreds of years? Of course, and it is expected soon. And Greece must be there with both peoples. The second issue that the Israeli Prime Minister revealed in its true dimension, because some people are making a fuss about others, is the issue of Islamic terrorism. This existing and greatest danger, which lurks in all the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean and Europe, has reached a point of red alert for all countries. And even worse is Netanyahu's revelation of the jihadists' already infiltration into many countries, he said around 30, ready to transform the target state into a "pandemonium of terror and blood," as they state in some of their documents, and this should worry us and at least mobilize the competent authorities.
El Aviv and Middle East expert