Netanyahu to Visit Greece – What’s the Hurry? tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

Netanyahu to Visit Greece – What’s the Hurry?

Posted by in Editor, Israel-GR, News, Politics

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to visit Athens tomorrow  Monday in a first ever visit of an Israeli PM to Greece.

The official visit comes three weeks after Greek Prime Minister Giorgos Papandreou visited Israel in late July.

During his two-days  staying in Athens  Netanyahu will meet with Greek PM Papandreou, President Papoulias, Minister of National Defense Venizelos, the leader of main opposition Party ND Samaras, members of the Jewish community in Greece. He will not be able to meet with  the Israeli embassy staff though as they are on strike!

The decision of the diplomatic staff to show cold shoulder to their Prime Minister  prompted Israel’s Intelligence Agency Mossad to prepare Netanyahu’s visit to Greece because the Prime Minister could not postpone his talks with the Greeks.

What is so urgent?

The purpose of this bilateral exchange of visits  “a major upgrade of relations between Israel and Greece on a range of bilateral issues,” said Netanyahu’s office to AFP  on July 23. Not a lot of details were given to the press about the talks of Papandreou with the Israeli leadership.

According to Israeli and Greek media the  talks of Netanyahu will focus on bilateral cooperation on the usual stuff: trade, tourism,  economy, science, political dialogue and defense issues.  Also the Palestinian issue and the deterioration of Israeli-Turkish relations will be discussed.

Defense is certainly going to be the main topic. Media talk about the possibility of an agreement on allowing Israeli jets to train in Greek skies. Since the deterioration of  Turkish-Israeli relations over the Freedom Flotilla raid by the IDF, that left 9 Turkish civilians dead and many injured, Ankara closed its skies to Isralei military aircraft. The IAF is urgently looking for other places to train, preferably nearby.

Another issue will be the resumption of the joint exercise held in Greek airspace jointly by  Israeli and Greek Air Forces in Greek airspace. The exercise was interrupted in May after the “Freedom Flotilla” raid, as many Greeks were also aboard and the outcry in Greece was immense.

Jerusalem Post reports that already two years ago some 100 IAF aircraft flew over Greece in a long-range training mission perceived as a dress rehearsal for a strike against Iran.

What’s the gain for  Greece?

A few thousands Israeli tourists?  A few tons of exported olive oil  for kosher gefilte fish? A ccooperation in the exploitation of  Leviathan’s natural gas reserves? A strong ally against Turkey?  A zealot  supporter for Greece’s stand on Cyprus issue? An upgraded role for Greece to enable peace in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea with the blessing of  American oil & natural gas companies? I might know more when the visit has taken place.

Netanyahu isn’t welcome by some

 

Greeks are not famous for their pro-israeli sentiments, especially due to the Palestinian issue.

The first anti-Netanyahu protest took place today, when activists hanged a Palestinian flag from Acropolis.

The Greek Left has already issued statements against the visit and is organising demonstrations tomorrow at 6.30 in Syntagma Square, downtown Athens , that will end with a march outside the Israeli embassy.

No matter how loud the opposition to the visit can be, PM Papandreou isn’t afraid to take the risk  – unlike his Turkish counterpart Erdogan, who has to.

 First of all Greece does not have an “Ummah” (Community of Believers in the Muslim World) to account for. And second PM Papandreou feels strong enough to do what he wants. Did he ask the permission of anybody before calling the IMF and imposing harsh austerity measures to his Greek voters? No, he didn’t.

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