Mitsotakis, Netanyahu meet in Jerusalem

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday met with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, in Jerusalem. The trip occurred without any prior announcement from the Maximos Mansion.

Mitsotakis conveyed his strong condemnation and grief regarding the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas. Additionally, he underscored Israel’s right to self-defense, in compliance with international law.

“I come here not only as an ally, but as a true friend. What happened was truly horrific,” Mitsotakis said, while pledging Greece’s support.

“From the first moment, Greece defended and supported Israel’s right to self-defense, according to international law. We made a very clear distinction between Hamas and the Palestinian people. We will continue to support you and hope that whatever happens must happen without great humanitarian cost. You can count on our support, our help,” he added.

Netanyahu conveyed his appreciation for the solidarity demonstrated by Greece and the Greek people “in this dark hour.”

“It is a battle of civilization against barbarism. We are on the side of zxcivilization and we must all unite against Hamas, which is the Islamic State (ISIS),” he said.

Mitsotakis was accompanied by Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis, leading to his cancellation of his participation in Monday’s Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg.

No further details about the meeting were immediately available.

Originally, Mitsotakis was scheduled to visit Israel on Thursday, but the trip was postponed due to security concerns.

During the Cairo Peace Summit held on Saturday, which aimed to find ways to “de-escalate” the Israel-Hamas conflict, Mitsotakis stated that no military intervention can replace a viable political solution.

The article was published at ekathimerini on 10/23/2023