Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized that the United States under President Trump chose a far more assertive involvement in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict than previous administrations. Speaking with To Vima publisher Giannis Pretenteris at the “Athens Policy Dialogues” — an event organized by the Council for International Relations, the Delphi Economic Forum and To Vima — he argued that Washington’s engagement was instrumental in shaping the current ceasefire proposal.
“There is no doubt that the U.S. under Trump decided to engage in resolving the Palestinian issue in a more aggressive way than past administrations,” he said. “We would not have reached the ceasefire proposal without the active involvement of the U.S. The situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, however, is more complex. It would be unfair to suggest that everything happening in the region takes place under American direction.”
On the Palestinian question, the Prime Minister noted that there now appears to be a roadmap that could lead not merely to a ceasefire, but to something resembling a permanent settlement. For this to occur, he stressed, Israel must cross the Rubicon and accept the necessity of recognizing a Palestinian state.
“We are not where we were months ago,” Mitsotakis stated. “There is now relative stability. Humanitarian aid to Gaza has been restored — let’s not overlook that.”
Regarding Greece’s relationship with Israel, he underlined that Athens responded with “the appropriate and balanced stance.”
“Our strategic relationship is long-standing,” he said, recalling that the State of Israel was recognized under the government of Konstantinos Mitsotakis.
“From the very first moment of the horrific terrorist attack, we defended Israel’s right to self-defense,” he continued. “At the same time, we were critical — and privately pointed out — that the use of force in Gaza had exceeded acceptable limits. We took part in humanitarian initiatives for Gaza and remained committed to this principled line, stating that Greece will recognize a Palestinian state at a later stage, provided that specific conditions are met.”
Source: ANA-MPA, Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
