The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is not just another page in the bloodstained history of the Middle East. It is an open wound on global humanism, exposing the international community’s inability to respond effectively. The extreme choices of the Netanyahu government—and not of the Israeli people—have led to the mass death of civilians, the uprooting of populations, and the destruction of infrastructure, sowing hatred and despair that will haunt the region for generations.
It is worth underscoring that a large share of Israel’s citizens, as well as a significant portion of the country’s political world, openly disagree with Netanyahu and demand an immediate end to the war. These voices are the hope for a different future, where peace and security rest on mutual respect rather than violence.
A recent leak of cabinet proceedings, published by Channel 13, revealed that Netanyahu cut off the ceasefire and humanitarian aid to Gaza—rejecting recommendations from top military and security officials to continue it—in order to force Hamas into surrender. At the same time, Omer Bartov, an Israeli Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies, has stated that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute genocide.
Greece, albeit belatedly, joined other European countries in a joint appeal to Netanyahu to halt the attacks and allow unimpeded humanitarian aid. It was a necessary step, though it should have come earlier so that our country’s voice would have been heard from the outset as part of a strong European initiative.
The strategic Greece–Israel relationship is valuable and rests on shared geopolitical and energy interests. But a strategic partnership is not a blank check. It does not imply tolerance for policies that violate international law and amount to the collective punishment of a people. Israel’s right to exist and to security is non-negotiable, as is the need to combat terrorism—especially after Hamas’s horrific crimes in 2023. But neutralizing a terrorist organization is one thing; exacting revenge on an entire people is another.
Without recognition of Palestinian statehood, there will never be genuine peace in the Middle East. On the contrary, the sense of threat and existential peril for Israel itself will persist indefinitely, feeding a vicious cycle of fear, violence, and mutual distrust.
Greece must leverage its historic ties with the Arab world and its long friendship with the Palestinian people to act as a bridge between civilizations and a credible mediator. Supporting the Palestinians is not an anti-Israeli stance. It is a commitment to international law, the two-state solution, and the defense of human life.
Europe—divided and fragmented—cannot speak with one voice. The absence of collective will makes it a bystander to a tragedy unfolding before its eyes. Vague statements are not enough; substantive political steps are needed. A re-examination of the EU–Israel Association Agreement—not as punishment, but as a message that relations are grounded in principles—would be one such step.
Greece must not remain silent, nor hide behind diplomatic balancing acts that amount to complicity. It should remain a friend to Israel and to the Arab world, but above all a friend to peace and justice. For diplomacy without principles becomes cynicism—and silence, in the face of such a crime, turns into complicity.