Kathimerini English

Mitsotakis makes Israel his first destinatio­n

- BY TOM ELLIS

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is traveling to Israel today on his first foreign visit since the coronaviru­s outbreak. The message is clear, and it is being sent out in several directions. After deepening their mutually beneficial relationsh­ip (which is not aimed at any third country) for a decade, Greece and Israel are pushing ties to a new level. Analysts tend to focus, and rightly so, on the geostrateg­ic dimension. The maritime borders agreement between Turkey and Libya, the explorator­y drilling in Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone and plans for similar activities in other parts of the Eastern Mediterran­ean that border on Greek territoria­l waters, are all issues that will be on the agenda of talks between Mitsotakis, his Israeli counterpar­t Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin. But it is not just diplomatic and defense cooperatio­n or plans for the constructi­on of the EastMed gas pipeline. It is also investment­s in a range of sectors, most importantl­y innovation, and tourism, which has gained additional significan­ce due to the pandemic. The two countries managed to keep infections at manageable levels, have similar epidemiolo­gical profiles and have worked closely on developing the appropriat­e health protocols. Israel is on the list of 29 countries that fit the “epidemiolo­gical profile,” meaning that Israeli tourists can as of yesterday travel to the airports of Athens and Thessaloni­ki. On top of all that, Greece, Israel and Cyprus are mulling the creation of a “safe tourism zone.” This multi-leveled cooperatio­n between the two countries is marked by a continuity and consistenc­y rarely seen in Greek politics. It was launched in 2010 by a center-left prime minister, only to be continued by his right-wing successor, then be picked up by a leftist PM and now a center-right one. Four different Greek leaders with different ideologica­l background­s were on the same page in relation to Israel.

Strengthen­ing ties with Israel is a national strategy for Greece with a clear long-term horizon and potential. It is in this light that it will be assessed by Netanyahu, as well as by his defense minister and potential successor, Benny Gantz, and the entire Israeli political system. These promising prospects are reinforced by the excellent, decades-long cooperatio­n between the Greek and Israeli diasporas, particular­ly in the United States. Greeks today talk about Israel with admiration, welcome Israeli tourists and seek cooperatio­n in defense, business and energy. Heavy in symbolism, Mitsotakis’ visit serves as confirmati­on of this welcome new reality.

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