Tag Archive for Israel Greece

| July 8, 2019
No comments

Greece elects Kyriakos Mitsotakis, “Friend of Israel” as Prime Minister

Speaking of Greece’s new PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the son of an avid Israel supporter, Israel’s former envoy to Greece predicts “relations between the two countries are sure to improve as Israel has shown itself to be a more reliable ally to Greece, even above the European Union.”

By Itamar Eichner

 

Satisfaction was evident in Jerusalem Sunday, when results of the Greek election became known. The candidate considered a long-time friend of Israel has emerged victorious in the country’s elections, winning almost 40 percent of the vote.

The New Democracy party and its leader, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, expected to receive some 158 seats in the 300-member parliament, a comfortable governing majority. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: ,
| October 2, 2017
No comments

Greece announces joint air force drill with Israel

Greece’s defense minister says his country is planning an eastern Mediterranean exercise that will include the participation of Cyprus, Israel, Egypt and other European countries’ air force in an effort to increase stability in the region.

By Arutz Sheva Staff

 

Greece’s defense minister said on Sunday plans are being drawn up for joint air force drills with Cyprus, Israel, Egypt and other European countries as part of efforts to bolster stability in the eastern Mediterranean, The Associated Press reports.

The remarks by Panos Kammenos came after a military parade in the Cypriot capital to commemorate the 57th anniversary of the ethnically divided island’s independence. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , , , ,
| May 13, 2016
No comments

Israel’s new Mediterranean friendships growing exponentially amid regional turmoil

 

view videoWith Turkey’s plunge into Islamism, the once less-than-friendly relationship between Greece & Israel has blossomed into an extensive 7-tier agreement of new partnerships dedicated to boosting security and economic ties, that’s enveloped Cypress as well.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN

 

Israel and Greece have in recent years upgraded bilateral diplomatic and defense relations to a significant degree, creating a new Mediterranean alliance that developed quickly following Turkey’s plunge into Islamism.

An Israel Air Force Apache helicopter lands across from a Greek mountain range during a joint Israel-Greece exercise with the Hellenic Air Force in October 2011. – Photo: IAF

Now, with reports surfacing periodically of a thaw in Israeli-Turkish relations, the partnership with Greece, carefully built up over the past six years, faces a new test. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , , ,
| April 17, 2016
No comments

Israel on Greek Gov’t List For Discount Prices & Gifts to Tourists

 

According to Greek Tourism Ministry, Israel is 1 of 4 non-EU nations whose tourists have been granted a 20% discount in Greek shops & businesses during 2016, after some 400,000 Israelis visited Greece in 2015.

By Israel Hayom Staff

 

Greece has always been a popular summer tourist destination for Israelis, and now it appears that vacationing there will cost Israeli passport holders even less. Thanks to a new initiative by Greece’s Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Dimitris Mardas and Hellenic Confederation of Commerce and Entrepreneurship President Vassilis Korkidis, Greece is offering Israeli tourists a 20% discount in the country’s shops for the remainder of 2016. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , ,
| March 26, 2016
No comments

Israel, Greece and Cyprus vs: potential Russia, Iran and Syria regional power

 

The tripartite alliance between Cyprus, Greece and Israel in natural gas partnerships, defense agreements and economic cooperation, could serve as a basis for an ever wider regional front.

By LESLIE SUSSER

 

THE PAST several weeks have seen a flurry of diplomatic activity reinforcing the tripartite alliance between Israel, Greece and Cyprus.

On January 28, the three leaders, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a summit meeting in Nicosia; the day before Tsipras brought 10 of his cabinet colleagues to Jerusalem for a government to government session with their Israeli counterparts; and the day before that Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon held security talks in Athens and a month later in Cyprus. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , , ,
| December 6, 2015
No comments

Greece Announced it Rejects EU Policy to Label Israeli Products

 

Greek government follows Hungary telling Jerusalem it will defy controversial European Union policy to label only the Jewish-made ‘settlement goods’ of the 200 disputed territorial conflicts around the world.

By Hillel Fendel

 

Greece has informed Israel that it will not label Israeli-made products from Judea and Samaria, following Hungary in breaking with the European Union on the issue.

PM Netanyahu met at the Knesset with Hungarian Foreign Affairs & Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto thanking him for supporting Israel against the EU’s decision to label products from Judea, Samaria & the Golan Heights. – Photo: Kobi Gideon, GPO

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras visited Israel late last month, and a few days later, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias informed Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of the Greek decision by letter. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , ,
| November 27, 2015
No comments

Greek PM acknowledges Jerusalem as Israel’s ‘historical capital’ to President Rivlin

 

Israel and Greece are planing to hold a trilateral energy summit with neighboring Cyprus early next year to discuss Israel’s natural gas fields & its commercial production. 

By Tal Shalev

 

When Alexis Tzipras was elected prime minister of Greece in January 2015, Israel watched the political shift closely. The victory of the radical, left wing pro-Palestinian Syriza party was considered bad news.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, November 25, 2015 – Photo : KOBI GIDEON/GPO

On his first visit to the region, Tzipras came to change that impression and show that Greece is still a friendly neighbor. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: ,
| July 20, 2015
No comments

Greek Defense Minister signs status of forces agreement with Israel

Visiting Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos signed a status of forces accord with Israel that up until now has only been afforded to the United States.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN

 

Israel and Greece signed a status of forces accord in Tel Aviv on Sunday that offers legal defense to both militaries while training in the other’s country.

Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos visited his Israeli counterpart Moshe Ya’alon at the Defense Ministry, where the accord was signed. Israel has only ever signed a similar accord with the United States.

During their meeting, Kammenos and Ya’alon discussed continued bilateral defense ties, and the latest regional situation. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , ,
| May 7, 2015
No comments

Israel, Greece & U.S. Hold Joint Naval Exercise in Mediterranean

The trilateral exercise, from April 27 until May 14, will include from Israel, dolphin class submarines, Sa’ar missile ships and a naval helicopter.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN

 

The Israel Navy took part in a trilateral exercise with the US and Greek navies this week.

Israel holds naval drill with US & Greece. – Photo: IDF SPOKESMAN’S UNIT

The exercise, the largest of its kind, dubbed Noble Dina, involved air-sea maneuvers and the use of a variety of naval vessels. It began on April 27 and will reach its conclusion on May 14, the IDF Spokesman’s Office said.

Three Israeli missile ships – the INS Lahav, a Sa’ar-class ship, and the INS Keshet and the INS Romah, both Sa’ar-4.5 class missile ships – took part. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , , , , ,
| December 11, 2014
No comments

Cyprus, Greece & Israel push for EU gas pipeline link

 

Cypriot & Greek officials say the pipeline, linking Israel, Cyprus, Italy and Greece, would reinforce the European Union’s energy security with its 8-12 billion cubic meter capacity.

The Associated Press and Israel Hayom Staff

 

Cyprus says it has joined with Israel and Greece to get the European Union to consider a pipeline that would link the continent with newly found natural gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean.

A statement Tuesday said Cypriot Energy Minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis and his Greek counterpart Yiannis Maniatis pitched the idea to European Commission Energy Union chief Maros Sefcovic.

The officials told Sefcovic in Monday’s meeting that the proposed East-Med Corridor would have a capacity of 8 billion to 12 billion cubic meters and would link Israel, Cyprus, Greece and Italy.

Continue Reading »
Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , , , ,
| November 26, 2013
No comments

US Air Force & IAF hold largest joint-military exercise in Israel’s history

 

Greece, Italy, Israel and the U.S. are holding joint aerial training exercise above Israel with about 100 aircraft.

IDF points out: Joint exercise has nothing to do with Iran

By Yoav Zitun

Some 50 fighter jets belonging to Israel, Greece, the US and Italy took off Sunday morning from the Ovda air base, signaling the beginning of the largest military air exercise in Israel’s history.

Israel Air Force - Phot courtesy: IDF Spokesperson's Unit

Israel Air Force – Phot courtesy: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit

The Blue Flag exercise is being hosted by Israel will continue until Thursday and will include more than 60 jet fighters among them the Tornado, AMX and F-15. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , , , ,
| June 5, 2013
No comments

Greek FM to American Jews: Anti-Semitism in Greece will be ‘confronted’

“The social factors that have allowed this to happen, as in other European countries, must be successfully addressed,” Greek foreign minister told an American Jewish audience.

 

WASHINGTON — The Greek foreign minister told an American Jewish audience that his government would “never allow hate to grow and spread,” but did not address specific calls to marginalize the ultranationalist Golden Dawn party.

Golden Dawn members with party leader Nikolaos Michaloliakos (front left)

Golden Dawn members with party leader Nikolaos Michaloliakos (front left)

“Let me state from this forum, in the most determined and compelling manner, that Greece will never allow hate to grow and spread,” Dimitris Avramopoulos told the American Jewish Committee’s annual Global Forum in Washington on Monday.

Continue Reading »
Category: Jewish News | Tags: , ,
| May 31, 2013
No comments

Greek minister: Our countries have known each other for thousands of years

Peres & Abbas met separately with FM Dimitris Avramopoulos. While Shimon Peres focused on economic stability, the PA president said he looks towards the peace talks.

By JPOST.COM STAFF, GREER FAY CASHMAN

 

 

 

Both Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his Israeli counterpart Shimon Peres met separately on Thursday with Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos, although the focus of the meetings seemed worlds apart.

Mahmoud Abbas meets Greece's Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos in Ramallah May 30, 2013. Photo REUTERS,Mohamad Torokman

Mahmoud Abbas meets Greece’s Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos in Ramallah May 30, 2013. Photo: REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman

Abbas received Avramopoulos at his presidential headquarters in Ramallah on Thursday, where they debated over the peace process, official PA news agency WAFA reported.

Continue Reading »
Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , ,
| December 26, 2012
2 comments

Athens put Israel 1st in line to buy up Greece’s infrastructure

The further Erdoğan pushes Israel away, the closer Athens is to Jerusalem.

 

By: Yossi Aloni

Israeli companies, with the encouragement and assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are taking advantage of the economic crisis in Greece to find some bargains while helping to advance the privatization efforts of the Greek government.

Port of Piraeus, Athens, Greece - Photo courtesy Piraeus Port Authority

Port of Piraeus, Athens, Greece – Photo courtesy Piraeus Port Authority

As a means of coping with the ongoing crisis, the Greek government has decided to privatize dozens of government companies, including the national lottery, the old Athens airport, the national oil company, refineries, the ports of Piraeus and Thessaloníki, local water companies, large industrial plants and more. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags:
| October 30, 2012
No comments

Greece & Israel Conduct Joint Military Exercise

The Greek Air Force & the Israeli Air Force recently concluded a 2-day exercise in Greece.

The joint Israel-Greek exercise took place as ‘Austere Challenge 12’, the IDF’s joint exercise with the U.S. Army, got underway.

By Elad Benari

 

The Israeli Air Force and the Greek Air Force recently concluded a two-day joint exercise on Greek soil, Channel 2 News reported on Monday.

According to the report, the Greek Air Force said that, as part of the exercise, F16i fighter pilots from both armies practiced dogfights, bomb raids and long term aerial refueling.

As Israel’s relations with Turkey cooled over the past few years – its relationship with Greece, including security cooperation, has warmed up. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , , ,