Gaza: Greece’s stance at the UN and the reactions
The events in Gaza—beyond the self-evident human reaction to the harshness of Netanyahu’s government in Israel—initially caused shock in diplomatic circles and, subsequently, uncertainty over how to handle such a difficult and unpredictable development.
Through the Minister of Foreign Affairs, George Gerapetritis, Greece chose to weigh the facts and, at the UN Security Council’s open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict (New York, May 22, 2025), took a clear position condemning Israel’s attacks in Gaza. In recent years, however, Greece and Israel have developed a steady relationship based on cooperation on geopolitical issues (electricity interconnection, the 3+1 strategic partnership) as well as defense procurement programs, while the Jewish lobby in the United States provides strong support on our national issues when they arise.
What Dimitris Avramopoulos tells parapolitika.gr about Greece’s role in the Gaza crisis
Parapolitika.gr sought answers on this issue from an experienced diplomat—former Foreign Minister and EU Commissioner for our country—Dimitris Avramopoulos, to understand how the landscape of cooperation between the two countries now looks. “The humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Gaza is not just another conflict in the Middle East,” he tells us. “It is a deep blow to global humanism, an event that tests the limits of the international conscience and exposes the inability of institutions to respond with substance and courage. Greece and Europe cannot remain uninvolved, nor be content with expressions of sympathy or vague appeals.”
The role of Greece and Europe in the Middle East
According to the former Foreign Minister, Greece should strengthen its relations with the Arab world, with which it has strong historical ties, and must not abandon Greece’s longstanding friendship with the Palestinian people. As he puts it: “Greece has a long tradition of friendship with the Arab world. It has been—and remains—a bridge of civilizations, a reliable interlocutor, a country marked by sobriety and historical understanding. That role must now be reinforced. Greece should stand with the Palestinians, not out of hostility toward Israel, but out of adherence to international law, to the principle of a two-state solution, and to the defense of human life.”
Europe’s weakness and Dimitris Avramopoulos’s proposals
“The problem is not only national; it is European. Europe, fragmented and divided, fails to express a collective political will. Some states align with the United States; others adopt more forward-leaning positions in favor of Palestine; and the EU’s voice ends up sounding weak, disjointed, and lifeless. Vague ‘messages’ are no longer enough. Concrete initiatives are needed. Re-examining the EU–Israel Association Agreement is one example—not as punishment, but as a signal that relations are grounded in principles, and that violating those principles has consequences. Diplomacy without credibility collapses. Politics without principles turns into cynicism. Silence becomes complicity. Greece must not be silent—nor afraid. It should speak with the voice of its history, its geography, and its values. It should remain a friend of both Israel and the Arab world, but above all a friend of peace and justice.”